How is gender represented in Psycho?Psycho is a horror/thriller
movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock about a man named Norman Bates
and his psychotic nature. The shower scene sees Hitchcock use
camera angles and shots alongside editing and mise en scene which
startle the audience and leave them expecting the unexpected the
next time they have a shower!The first scene shows a rather worried
looking Marion writing down some figures in a diary. The point of
view shot of the diary establishes that Marion is making some
calculations and leads the audience to think that money and
financial affairs may be involved. This rejects the stereotype of
women who were, in the 1960s (for that was when the film was
released) seen as submissive and as distanced away from money
matters as were men from housework. The medium shot of Marion
reveals her distress; her hair is untidy although has been curled
but possibly not been brushed or taken care of as it may have been
if she wasnt so worried. The mise en scene depicts her wearing a
silky robe illustrating her wealth and high status. Furthermore she
seems to be in a hotel room due to the furniture being placed
neatly and later she is seen to be tearing open the packaging of a
bar of soap. Continuity editing has been used to help the audience
establish the surroundings and fully see Marion. The camera then
tracks her to the bathroom where a point of view shot shows Marion
flushing away the paper she has ripped. This gives a sense of her
flushing away some sort of evidence and feeling the need to cleanse
herself by having a shower. The toilet hole could be said to
foreshadow the drain hole in the bath later on in the scene
depicting that like the ripped pieces of paper, Marions life will
also drain away. Marion closes the door which provides the feeling
of entrapment but also that she is modest. As Marion removes her
robe, the camera cuts to her ankles disclosing that she is naked.
Marion draws the transparent curtain once again portraying her
modest nature and providing a barrier between the audience and her.
The audience however is made to be voyeuristic by breaking through
that barrier and invading her privacy which we know that she doesnt
want to share through her closing the door and drawing the curtain.
The medium close up positions the audience on the line of sight as
if shes looking directly towards us, the audience feel a sense of
guilt as she does not know she is being watched. The point of view
shot of the shower head is like a sort of redemption from above
which links back to the idea of her being cleansed. The camera then
cuts to a medium shot of her cleaning her neck- a vulnerable area
which is an easy target for a killer. The camera shows the audience
a 360 degree angle of Marion (breaking the 180 degree angle rule)
whilst having her shower which gives a feeling that the audience
have seen it all. Throughout, Marions mouth is open depicting the
pleasure she is feeling but also has a sexual essence to it aswell.
There is also a sense that the audience have well and truly invaded
her intimate moments.The camera breaks the 180 degree angle rule
for the blurred entrance behind the curtain of Norman Bates. The
camera zooms whilst Bates snatches apart the curtain and also
Marions modesty-protection. The silhouette conveys the secretive
element in that it could be anyone and that it could also happen to
YOU! The knife is more effective than a gun for instance as it
depicts the prolonged agony and intimacy with the victim. Another
approach would be to consider the knifes appearance as almost
phallic which alongside Marions screams of terror give it a
penetrating resemblance. The theme of sex is another approach which
plays a considerable part in many horror movies and likewise this
one.The shot reverse shot of the stabbing scene with the extreme
close up Marions agonizing screams makes it almost seem like a
rape. The shot reverse shots highlight the action and increase the
pace along with the audiences heartbeat. Tension is generated
through the cuts and the chaotic atmosphere is fully demonstrated.
A high angle of Marion stresses her vulnerability to control the
situation similarly the low angle shot of Bates emphasises his
power over the feeble woman as he stands blocking the only escape
route-the bathroom door. This scene replicates the situation of
many women (but in a different scenario) that were in an oppressed
marriage and experiencing domestic violence, the lack of defence
and protection highlights the dominated role of a man.The camera
cuts to a medium close up of Marions legs whilst we also see blood
being drained away with the water. An extreme close up of her hand
depicts her longevity to cling onto her life and portrays her life
getting dragged down, drained out of her. The birds eye view of her
in the bath-which could be called her coffin, shows her struggle to
hold onto something- the curtain. Marion could be trying to regain
her modesty and cast a barrier between the audience and her
remaining wounded self. Unfortunately for Marion, the curtain does
not aid her in her struggle for survival and she lands hard on the
cold floor. The shower continues in its full speed reminding the
audience of the reality and that time is moving on. Next the camera
pans to the blood being drained away symbolising her life has also
been drained right out of her in a horrific manner-the emphasis is
on the fact that it wasnt a normal death. The close up of the plug
hole signifies a black hole, the end of life. The camera then cuts
to an extreme close up of Marios eye, her pupil replicating the
black hole. Montage editing is used to represent the lifeless eye
as the eye is said to be the window to a persons soul which now
stares at the audience creating an intimidating effect. The canted
angle adds to the eyeline match and reveals how Marions life has
ended in a matter of a few moments. There is a drop of water near
her eye which appears to be a teardrop but could possibly be the
water from the shower. Her furrowed brow and lines of worry on her
forehead reveal the terror she felt before she died. The camera
then pans to a close up of a folded newspaper depicting what Marion
had planned to do after her shower. The audience is indirectly told
that you never know what the future holds and depicts the life she
could have had if she hadnt died; As if her soul has left her body
and the audience is seeing what her future had in store for her.The
way in which Hitchcock uses camera angles, camera shots, mise en
scene and editing all contribute to the build up of the climax- the
horrific death of Marion. The background music only but sends a
chill down the audiences spine and makes their heart race at
alarming speeds. All in all, the shower scene fulfils the
stereotypes of women being dominated by men moreover Norman Bates
face not being disclosed further contributes to the aftermath of
watching this scene as the audience is left feeling uneasy the next
time they go to have a shower. (Particularly the female audience as
they are aware of the lack of physical strength they have to deal
with anything similar to a character like Norman Bates.)
