“Psycho” 1960 by Alfred Hitchcock – Shot analysis of the iconic

shower scene

By Jake Austin

- The Iconic shower scene from the classic Hitchcock film “Psycho”. Marion Crane (played by Janet Leigh) meets a gruesome demise in the shower while staying at the Bates Motel.

• Close up of her closing/ sealing the door (believing its safe) however it’s not (classic aspect in suspense thrillers similar to forgetting to close a curtain as we are planning to use in our thriller. Builds suspense)

• Translucently adding to mystery and aesthetic feel.

• Wet and naked in enclosed place showing her vulnerability and entrapment.

• Close up of water starting: water is life representing the water cleansing her sins and bringing her joy.

• Liquid vortex showing beautiful cinematography and adding to aesthetic pleasure.

• Shot showing her blissfulness/ blindness to terror (that is about to happen) (rule of thirds)

• Counterpoint to translucently shown in previous shot of Marion behind curtain. Shadow contrasts light slowly getting closer with camera zooming towards shadowed figure building suspense.

• Shot of someone (enigma) holding knife ( generic prop for thriller genre) face shadowed showing moral darkness/coldness and creating a further enigma.

• Triple close ups show her reaction of terror, invasion, shock (terror)/awareness of situation and extreme close up of mouth as she screams for her life.

• First attack of Marion then continues with shot reverse shot of close ups identifying audience with characters emotions (or lack of) and showing audience the action. Low angle of shot showing killer is in charge.

• Marion desperately trying to defend herself with further diegetic sounds of her screaming.

• Close up further showing the extreme pain and despair (and most probably regret/guilt for what she has done) she is in.

• Further medium close up of killer with continued shot reverse shot of action in different perspectives.

• Close up of the last scream showing that Marion is losing hope and giving in to the gruesome pain she is enduring.

• Close up of killer attacking her womb. Violent slaughter possibly due to revenge?

• High angle close up of feet showing Marion’s inevitable death bed. Bloodletting showing how the killer is slaughtering her rather than it being just a kill showing how dark/twisted the killing is (she deserves it?).

• Medium shot of killer making a quick exit leaving Marion to die alone slowly.

• Close up showing her losing hope giving up sliding down slowly.

• Marion losing hope sliding down to the “killing floor”. Reflective shadows as she falls to her death bed.

Rule of thirds: focusing on Marion with her dying stare possibly considering regret of what she had done to cause this ending.

• Reaching out for last hope.

• Close up of her hand on shower curtain(her last hope).

• Shower curtain falling as her last hope dies.

• Close up of plus hole as blood is washed away (used chocolate as blood).

• Extreme close up of plug fading in to extreme close up of Marion’s dead eye- “eternal eye”.

• “Water of life” –Irony.

• Close up of newspaper showing evidence of the crime Marion committed revealing the reason why she is murdered.