Psycho Analysis

Psycho Analysis

The first shot is a wide shot of Norman.  This is a low angle shot, making Norman look very aggressive and intimidating. The lighting is low key, suggesting something bad might happen. This also creates a tense atmosphere. There is a single light behind Norman, no of which shines on Norman. This shows that Norman may have been a good person in the past, but has now put that behind him and has become evil.  Norman is in the centre of the shot and takes up a lot of space. This shows that Norman dominates his environment and makes him appear intimidating.  Norman is positioned so that he is in front of a bird of prey. He covers the head and body of the bird but the wings are still visible, this suggests that Norman is like a bird of prey and can kill Marion easily. Dead birds also surround Norman because he is taxidermy. This means that Norman is always surrounded by and consumed by death, showing that he is a killer himself and that his victims are innocent and unsuspecting, much like a bird in the wild.

The next shot is a mid shot with both characters in frame. Norman and Marion are positioned on opposite sides of the screen, they have distance between one another, showing that they are still strangers and no relationship has been established. Both Marion and Norman appear very uncomfortable, showing that neither of them may want to be in each other’s presence, this could possibly show that Norman has a split personality due to him being very confident asking Marion to sit in his office and talk, but become very uncomfortable when they start talking in the office. Marion is positioned closer to the audience than Norman, this is so the audience can feel empathetic for Marion due to the uncomfortable and awkward situation she is in, this also helps build a relationship between Marion and the audience. There is a light near Marion, which shines on her. This emphasises to the audience that she is innocent and is the one being ‘hunted’ by Norman. Norman does not have any lights near him and therefore is in the darkness, reinforcing the fact that Norman is always surrounded by darkness and evil, he is consumed with the evil he has created. Marion also has smaller birds around her that are hunted by the bigger birds of prey that surround Norman. This shows that Norman is ‘hunting’ Marion and tricking her into a situation in which he can kill her. Norman is also dressed in very dark clothes and he also has dark hair, showing that everything around him and about him is very mysterious and dark, making him a very threatening person.

The next shot is a mid shot of Marion. Marion is positioned to the left of the screen but is still the main focus of the shot, showing that she is still the most important person in the shot.  There is a light in the background, showing that Marion is always in the light and that she is safe for now. Marion is sitting in a way that makes her seem small, showing that she feels uncomfortable and possibly threatened. This could also show that Marion is introverted or that she is trying to protect herself without Norman noticing.