The original film Psycho was filmed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1960 and was adapted from the book written by Robert Bloch. I remake of Hitchcock’s movie was made by Gus Van Sant and I will be using the stills from this version for my analysis.

This part of the scene is shot within the shower. The water effectively focused on and blocks out whatever is lurking on the other side of the curtain. There are several shots in this part, not just the one in the still above. A lot of close ups are used at different angles. For example, there is a shot where it is using a low angle shot to look at the shower head. This could also be seen as a point of view shot.  We also get a shot over the shower curtain looking in. Throughout this part of the scene the camera never looks out of the shower, it is always blocked by water or the curtain. The curtain is of great importance in this part because it charades the attacker, adding tension. The camera pans to the left slowly and starts to zoom in on an outline outside of the curtain.

 

After the curtain has been pulled quickly back we get this shot. From the angle it looks like a point of view shot. The face of the attacker is kept hidden and the viewer is drawn to the shining blade that has been lit well. The cuts and camera shots become quicker as the action starts. From this shot we cut to a close up of the victim who has no time to defend herself as the knife plunges into her. There is a series of rapidly changing shots that flick from the victim and the attacker. Several times in the scene the knife is the focal point. There is not an excessive amount of blood which makes the scene more chilling because it is an everyday object doing damage and being shown realistically. A characteristic of a thriller is to turn the normal into the extraordinary inj a realistic fashion.

 

                        This extreme close up occurs near the end of the sequence. As she lets out her final shrieks, the camera zooms in close to her open mouth. This is used effectively to make your blood curdle. The way that it cuts to and from the open mouth gives a sense of chaos.  In the background the now cliché violins are used and compliment the screams to build tension.

                                          This shot is a graphic match to the victim’s pupil dilating. The blood flowing down the plug is the following shot from a panning shot down the victim’s body. The close up of the blood could be used a representative of the victims life draining away as she lies half in the bath.

This is the final shot in the shower scene. It uses an interesting shower technique. A graphic match is used again as it fades from the plug hole to her eye. As the camera pans out, it twists like the spiralling water down the drain. This brings the scene to an interesting halt.