Psycho Scene Analysis 2

This low expressionist angle of Norman shows the power he has over Marion without her even being in the shot. The owls in the shot are birds of prey which are faced towards Marion connoting that she is the next prey for Norman. Marion is also referred to as a bird throughout the film, especially towards the end when we see the car coming out of the tar pit and the license plate says ‘phoenix’ which connotes the ‘phoenix rising from the ashes. The phoenix is Marion. The painting on the right is a famous painting ‘Rape of Lucretia’. This connotes that he has a lot of sexual feelings towards Marion as the peephole he uses to spy on her is hidden behind the painting. This is known as ‘The Male Gaze’ written by Laura Mulvey and shows the result of appeasing male-dominated cultural dominant ideology. This photo again shows Hitchcock’s auteur style as he was obsessed with young, blonde woman.

Psycho Scene Analysis 1

This still image shows the car, motel and the house all in one shot. There is a low expressionist angle looking up to the house showing the power it has over Marion and her car. The dark night-time atmosphere with low key lighting makes the audience feel uneasy and gives the shot an eerie feel. The rain falling down in the shot connotes misery and gloom through the use of pathetic fallacy. This scene shows how Hitchcock uses cinematography to show the audience something isn’t quite right before we even find out about Norman Bates’ life. This scene is a slow montage to build tension before the shower scene, which reflects Hitchcock’s auteur style showing his love of montages. Andrew Sarris’ ‘Notes on the Auteur Theory’ in 1962 shows how all of Hitchcock’s films have the same style and he likes the audience to know they’re watching one of his films without necessarily being told it was made by him.

Horror Poster Analysis 3: "The Conjuring"

Horror Poster Analysis 2: "Sinister"

Horror Poster Analysis 1: "Grave Encounters"