Analysing Psycho

We watched a clip from the horror film Psycho made in the 1960s. The woman was in the shower when she was murdered by a dark, unknown figure using a knife. 

The white, clean bathroom she is in connotates  her innocence and purity. And the fact that she is the shower and her facial expressions portray she is relaxed yet completely unprotected and exposed to any danger that may be lurking which is indicated by the tense eerie music.

The audience is given an idea that the woman is in danger when a dark shadow appears to enter the room. The dark shadow in contrast with the white purity of the bathroom indicates that they are a danger to her and the music becomes more powerful and builds in volume.




The shower curtain is ripped to the side and this dark figure is standing there with a knife - connotating death, danger and evil - and starts to stab the woman repeatedly with the now famous music playing. Again, the dark faceless figure against the pure whiteness of the bathroom indicates that this character is an evil and dangerous person.

This is a very significant part in the clip we watched, her hand reaching out, it connotates her last desperate attempt for help, grasping at what little life she had left. She grabs onto the shower curtain which tears and it falls to the ground with her. 

The close up of her eye as she lies on the floor of the bathroom shows that she is in fact dead, there is no light/life left in her and the odd angle of the camera uneases the audience as it is intended to do.

This is also a significant part of the scene we watched. The blood of the woman washes down the drain, it connotates her life she drained and washed away into something insignificant, her life no longer exists.