1. 21/01/2016
Psycho (Hitchcock, 1960)- Shower Scene
The iconic shower scene from Psycho begins and ends slowly with around half a minute
of fast paced action in between. By using pace in this way, tension is built until the
action occurs then the audience is enabled to absorb what has happened as the pace
slows again after Marion’s death. The slowed pace at the end of the scene also portrays
Marion’s slow and painful death enabling the audience to sympathise with her.
The scene is edited using as few cuts as possible, keeping the spectator’s focus upon
Marion, and using only cut- aways to reveal key information. By using fewer cuts, more
suspense is built as the cuts are long which leads the audience to assume that danger
will come into shot as the camera pans with Marion. This is not the case and so the
tension is carried through into the bathroom where more cut-aways begin to be used
leading up to the fast paced action.
The use of the iconic high- pitched score in time with the fast cuts reinforces the
stabbing motion on screen making it appear more severe and dramatic. Likewise with
the pace, the audio track slows after the fast action has taken place. This gives the scene
emotion as Marion slowly dies to the somber deep instrumental music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4
