Friday, 11 January 2013

Psycho (1960) Screenshot Analysis



In this scene from PSYCHO we see Arbogast getting attacked by what we think is the mother of Norman Bates. It takes place inside Norman Bates’ eerie house that looks over the Bates Motel, showing its power over people who stay there. This is also the first time that we see inside the Bates house.

The house is very dark lit with small amounts of motivated lighting which cast large shadows which makes the whole scene seem more tense and eerie. Norman Bates mother is carrying a phallic weapon which shows her power over Arbogast. The character is also lit lighter than the rest of the scene, giving her an almost ghostly appearance. The lighting gives the audience an uneasy feel which adds to the scare factor.

The use of the knife is reminiscent of Ed Gein when he murdered people, which adds to the historical context of the time.

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