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Alfred Hitchcock Psycho Parlor Scene

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Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) is said to be the film that set the stage for horror/thriller movies. It is a perfectly timed classic with little to no room for improvement. What makes this film so fantastic is Hitchcock’s use of mise-en-scene, which include lighting and camera angles. Psycho is a film full of suspense, despair, and tragedy. There are three scene in which I find most iconic based on the use of mise-en-scene. I discuss the parlor scene in which Norman and Marion have a discussion, the shower scene, and the end of the movie. The parlor scene is an example of crosscutting and the 180 degree rule during the conversation between Marion and Norman. When Norman speaks of his mother saying “I hate what she’s become”, the camera is at a lower angle which is looking up at him. This makes Norman feel extremely dominant because he appears very big and threatening. If you notice on the left side of the shot there is an owl on the wall. It is in a pose that portrays it attacking its prey. This is significant because Norman is like an owl luring Marion in before he decides to attack her. When Norman is when the discussion turns …show more content…

If we think of the room being like his head, to the edge of the shot there is a barred window that represents Norman being trapped in his own mind while the mother is in control. Everything in the room is empty and the focus is on Norman as the mother, indicating that the primary focus of Norman’s mind is the mother. There is also a mug on the floor. Mugs are a typically an object associated with the home, so in this case it shows the association that Norman has with the mother and his feeling of being “at home” with her, in his safe-zone. A blanket is covering Norman. Building on the idea of a safe-zone, the blanket is like protection which is similar to the way that Mother takes over to protect him when feeling threatened, as mentioned by the detective at the end of the

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