practice mis en scene analysis:psycho(1960)

Practice mise en scene analysis :psycho (1960)

The costumes used for this part of the film represents, around the 60’s era. The make up on the woman, was a typical make up look around those times, eyeliner was on every woman around that time. 

Her hairstyle was a kind of common hairstyle around those times also. With doing this its allowing the audience to know the era it was set.

Props used were everything you’d find in a normal house, maybe an elders home, their old lamps etc. the office had stuffed animals in the room, which helps set the eerie opinion upon Norman and set the thriller theme. Even with the stuffed creatures in the room, it still looked like he felt at home, like a comfort feeling. It had homely objects in, which help set the scene of a normal home.

The setting was a typical homing environment around those times (bar the stuffed animals). The floral wallpaper in what I think was the motel room, was very common, it helps the audience understand and infer the time It is set in. the rooms were helped set by the props used

The performance from the 2 actors really show the mutual respect people would give each other back in the day, they showed respect and etiquette. This will have been, once again, due to the time it was set, people spoke grammatically correct and was raised to have strong manners. 

Hitchcock employs a medium shot to show Marion eating in his office, and immediately the viewer notices several important details First, the objects surrounding her are mostly circular and curved: the lamp, the picture frame, and the two vessels in the foreground. Psychologists often explain that soft, rounded shapes make us feel more comfortable and secure whereas sharp, pointed objects make us feel scared and vulnerable. The placement of these objects within the frame helps to develop further Marion’s character by creating a warmth around her that endears her to us. 

Hitchcock chooses to bathe Marion in a bright light, which makes her the focus of our attention. In the same scene there are minimal shadows in this shot, which Hitchcock places at eye-level as if the viewer is sitting across from her and engaging her in conversation. The audience   will also notice many white colours in the shot, and that Marion is positioned more toward the center of the frame. This clever use of lighting and cinematography creates a congenial atmosphere be- cause the clarity produced by the bright lamp, coupled with the soft shape of each object, lulls the viewers into a false sense of safety and security.