Psycho Analysis

The first shot we see is a low angle shot of Norman Bates in the parlour room, the effect of this shot is that it makes Norman seem in control of that environment as well as this, the way in which he orders Marion around adds to this. The mise en scene used in this shot is important as the way Norman is dressed signifies his split personality. He wears a tucked in shirt with an unbuttoned top. The props in the scene too are important because we see in the scene a predatory bird behind him, the bird has its wings out signifying that it is ready to attack, this is much like Norman as he represses his urge to kill Marion in this scene. The birds are also stuffed and not alive, this signifies that Norman is surrounded by death.

The next shot we see is a two shot of Marion and Norman in the parlour. Lighting is used to great effect in this seen as both Marion and Norman both have their faces cast in shadow. This signifies Marion’s secret of stealing money from her boss and it also signifies, much like his shirt, Norman’s split personality, this is done to show the audiences that both characters have a “dark side”.

We also see in this shot the lack of eye contact Marion gives Norman, this shows how uneasy Marion is about the situation, we also see Norman looking Marion up and down and analysing her, this gives the audience the feel that Norman is “sizing her up”.

After this we see a mid shot of Marion in a chair. In this shot lighting is used to light the area surrounding Marion showing a vast amount of space, because of this it gives the shot a more relaxed feel as a closer shot would of made the audience feel more anxious and would of made Marion look more confined and trapped. The light also lights up Marion’s face showing her vulnerability as she’s now opened up more about herself.

After this we see an MCU of Norman, in this shot the setting is very dark and Norman is framed in the darkness, this makes him seem a lot more sinister and could also signify that his “darker” side is taking over. The stuffed birds mentioned earlier add to this shot as the bird is placed on a desk beside Norman and mimics his gaze to Marion. Norman’s body language in this shot make him seem very nervous due to him squeezing his hand a lot, this signifies his anxiety. As well as this, the camera is a lot closer to Normans face in this shot making him seem trapped. As this shot progresses Norman touches the bird with his hand. This physical connection with the bird signifies the mimicking of the birds by Norman

The next shot we see is a low angle shot of Norman. The cinematography used in this scene is unusual. This signifies the unusual personality of Norman and how quickly it can change. There is also a great amount of shadow on the side of Norman, this is more apparent in this scene due to the unusual angle of the shot. This not only makes Norman look menacing, but also signifies that his darker side is taking over. In the background of this shot, we again see a bird in the background with shadow cast from it making it look larger and more intimidating. This bird is predatory and has its wings spread out making it seem like it’s ready to attack. Like what I mentioned before with Norman mimicking the birds this shows that Norman is ready to kill.

Next, we see a close up of Normans face; his face fills the frame, the lack of space in this, making him look uncomfortable and anxious. The crow in the background signifies death and shows that death is indeed heading closer and closer to Marion. After this we see a close up of Marion, we can tell from the lack of space in this shot that Marion feels very uncomfortable and intimidated by Norman, there is also a lack of light in this shot with Marion’s face covered in shadow. This is a sharp contrast to the shot of Marion before with the previous shot framing her in a wide space with a lot of light.

After this we see a low angle shot of Marion. This makes her seem in control of the situation. Her facial expression in this shot is impassive, this signifies her trying to hide her emotions and her secrets..

After this we see a high angle shot of Norman, this shot makes Norman seem weak and pathetic. His facial expression signifies that he’s tired and emotionally drained.  His situation is almost like a child getting scolded by his mother as Marion leaves the parlour.