Hitchcock Assignment

How does Hitchcock use cinematography to create tension in the parlour scene in psycho?

In Psycho, Hitchcock uses shot types to create tension in different ways. For example, When Norman Bates and Marion Crane are talking in the back section of the office, its cuts from a mid-shot to a close up shot looking up at Norman. This creates tension by making Norman looking dominant and also it’s a close up therefore showing his facial expressions, whenever Marion has told him that he should put his mother in a mad house you see his facial expressions change from a pleasant/kind of expression to an upset/angry expression. Also this shows that Norman is peculiar character, he was very kind at the start to Marion and then when he was aggressive he started being more unpredictable. This says that he can change moods very easily depends on what is being talked about might suggest that there may be a darker side to Norman that we do not know about.

Hitchcock also uses composition to create tension in Psycho. For example, When Norman is angry about his mother, it cuts from a mid-shot to a low-angle shot looking up at Norman. It shows him in the bottom right-hand corner and in the top left-hand corner there is a big owl with its wings fully extended. This has the effect of making the audience feeling powerless and vulnerable. It also shows that there might be a relation between Norman and the owl, the owl is seen as a predatory animal and in this case the audience see Norman as a predator too, this creates tension. Also it follows the golden mean and at the time of the shot they are both shown together, but in the previous shot they weren’t shown together. It was only when he was angry that they were together so it might suggest again that there is a darker side to Norman that we don’t know about.

Another technique Hitchcock uses are camera angles to create tension in Psycho. For example, when Norman starts talking about how he would leave his mother it cuts from a mid-shot looking at Marion to a low-angled shot looking up at Norman and then back to a mid-shot again. This helps the audience understand the progression of the story and convocation; it shows Norman and Marion talking and the camera angles help the audience understand how each of the characters are feeling. The low-angled shot signifies that Norman is getting more aggressive as they continue to talk and as it cuts back to Marion is suggests that Norman is powerful and Marion is vulnerable. But also during the heated discussion, there is a moment where Norman is shown in a mid-shot but the camera is at a different position, so we see him leaning forwards. I think seeing him from a different angle makes him look less powerful and more calm and relaxed. And now the aggression has gone, it has resolved itself, this makes the tension fade out because the uncertainty in the audience has gone.

Shadow is used to create tension in the parlour scene. For example, When Norman and Marion are talking in the back office about why she has come to the motel; you see a mid-shot of Marion talking to Norman and the audience can see that she is very well illuminated. It then cuts away to a mid-shot of Norman leaning forward listening to her and only half of his face is illuminated. As the convocation progresses, Norman leans backwards and you really see the shadow across his face as he thinks about leaving his mother. This leads us to think that Norman is easily manipulated into thinking dark thoughts and also the audience can see two faces, the illuminated side being the good or pure side to Norman and the Shadowed side being the darker or impure side. This is very good at creating tension because it leaves the audience uncertain about him, they cannot tell whether he is going to go through with the suggest plan that Marion said or just ignore it and stay with his mother. Also again the good and evil effect or double life of Norman is seen in the same shot, you can see his shadow on the wall behind him but when you cut to Marion she doesn’t have a shadow. This may just be the positioning of the lighting but still leads the audience to think about his darker side.

Finally Hitchcock uses framing to create tension and suspense in the parlour scene. For example, you never see Norman and Marion in the same shot together; in the back office they are both sat down, Marion in one corner and Norman in the other. This leads the audience to think about what the other person is doing and makes them wonder why they aren’t sat together. Also it makes them think further about what keeping them apart, it seems like there is a physical barrier between them. This might show that they have differences; Marion could be hesitant or uncomfortable to go near Norman because they have only just met, this hesitant behaviour displayed by Marion creates tension because the audience can see that she is acting in a different manor than before and then letting them know that something maybe wrong.