Psycho Analysis

Psycho Analysis

In the scene in Psycho where we are first properly introduced to Norman he is presented in a low angle mid shot. This makes Norman appear tall signifying his power and dominance; we are forced to look up at him showing his control of the scene. He gives Marion an order to sit down which she abides by once again enforcing his authority and showing Marion as the weaker person in the situation. The only light source in the shot comes from a lamp that is positioned behind Norman, this implies that any goodness that was in Norman has been left behind. The shot is framed in half-light, half darkness and Norman is positioned in the dark side. This represents Norman’s multiple personalities and his willingness to be in the dark. Hitchcock has made a conscious effort to position Norman so his head is in the position where a bird of prey’s head will be. The bird is in its ‘attack’ pose, which connotes Norman’s choice to pry information out of Marion and eventually attack her.

In the two shot scene with Marion and Norman, the audience is positioned closer to Marion and further away Norman. This allows the audience to identify with Marion rather than Norman instantly telling us to stay from him. The distance between them is prominent but we can see Norman leaning in towards Marion with his gaze fixed on her. Not only that but they are surrounded by birds of prey who are in a resting position but intently observing Marion, much like Norman is in this shot. This connotes the similarity between the birds and Norman and presents him as being one of them, waiting for the right time to pounce on Marion. Yet again Norman is positioned in the shade and Marion in the light, showing the good and evil in both characters.

The scene after this positions Marion in a low angle mid shot and she occupies a small space in the frame that is full of props and various objects. This gives the impression that she is isolated and vulnerable and looks trapped by all the objects surrounding her. Despite this she comes across as sweet and innocent, her body language appears quite relaxed yet protective and uneasy, clearly cautious of the uncomfortable situation. The lamp to the right of Marion is the only light source in the frame, suggesting that the atmosphere is dark and unsettling. There is a selection of small birds next to her that look weak and would be the prey of the large birds that surround Norman. This shows the contrast between the characters of Marion and Norman.

In the next low angle mid shot of Norman he looks quite nervous and the physical space between him and Marion is emphasised by the fact he is positioned to the right of the frame, and in the previous shot Marion was positioned to the left. Norman is surrounded by shadow, which increases his presence on screen looking as though he takes up more of the frame than he actually does. Next to him is an unlit candle that would be the only source of light in the shot, implying that he made the conscious decision to stay in the dark. The birds are resting in this shot implying that he is more relaxed than he initially was.

Norman becomes angry and paranoid when Marion mentions his mother; he leans forward and is positioned in a low angle mid shot. By moving forward he looks bigger in the frame and closer to Marion, this makes him seem more threatening and intimidating as we are looking up at Norman. As soon as Norman feels insulted the birds of prey are shown in their attacking positions compared to their previous resting positions, they are now looking over Norman showing that they are visually connected to him.