Applied Sciences COM 3417- Movie Clip Reflection Assignment 1

Movie Reflection Assignment 1

Department of Communication: Florida International University

COM 2417: Communication in Film

Professor Alfredo Soto

June 24, 2022

Abstract

Psycho director Alfred Hitchcock and cinematographer John L. Russel employ varying camera techniques and lighting choices to highlight the internal and external struggles of the cast of characters; primarily that of Marion Crane and Norman Bates. The camera movements and positions are changed as the suspense of the story begins to grow. According to Prince, the closeup shots done by Hitchcock and Russel “clarify…the personal emotional space of the character[s]” (Prince, 2014, pg. 11). Shifts in lighting reveal the true killer of the story before showcased in dialogue as well as accelerates the plot towards its climax (in which Arbogast begins to discover who the killer is).

Psycho director Alfred Hitchcock and cinematographer John L. Russel employ varying camera techniques and lighting choices to their advantage in creating a suspenseful tone towards making the film. Being a film noir, as defined by Prince to be “black-and-white cinematography”, the mechanics between the camera and the actors are imperative towards relaying the characters’ internal and external struggles (Prince, 2014, pg. 64).

The camera movements and positions are changed as the suspense of the story begins to grow. Following Marion Crane asking to leave work early, the scene changes to her dressing in her bedroom. The scene remains in a medium shot until she appears to look down at an item on her bed. Hitchcock then tilts (moves downward) the camera towards the bed and zooms in on the item: the $40,000 cash in which her boss asked her to put into the office bank account. The close-up of the envelope then pans towards the right to reveal that Marion is not changing into sleepwear, as she told her coworker she planned on sleeping away a headache, but rather packing a suitcase. The moving-camera shot , as explained by Prince, is entrusted towards revealing “dramatic information”, this being how Marion stole the money from her job (Prince, 2014, pg. 30). The “information” additionally extends towards the realization that she is planning on using the money to help her boyfriend, Sam, relieve his debt and run towards a happily ever after. The camera proceeds to alternate between tilting to mirror Marion’s movements in packing her luggage and closing in on the envelope of money lying on her bed. These changes only occurring when she locks eyes with the envelope. The camera following her eyesight solely when she catches a glimpse at the envelope creates the perspective that all she can think about are the contents that lie within. This establishes the internal struggle of the character, as she is indecisive about packing her bags and running away to be with the love of her life.

The lighting of the film, Psycho, remains relatively bright unless surrounding one particular character: Norman Bates. After the private investigator, Arbogast, inquires at various hotels about Marion Crane’s whereabouts, he drives up to the Bates Motel. He is met by Norman who is sitting in front of a dimly-lit office while Arbogast’s surroundings are brighter. As Bates invites him inside the office, the background lighting noticeably darkens. This could be used to foreshadow Arbogast becoming a victim in the killer’s den. The dialogue initially is a casual questioning about a potential customer; that is until Arbogast is revealed to have a sample of Marion’s handwriting as he reviews the check-in book. When the camera pans back to Norman, not only is there an apparent spotlight on him, but he is now in a low-angled closeup. As Prince states in Movies and Meaning, spotlight and low-angle are meant to articulate “the seriousness and drama of this moment” (Prince, 2014, pg. 15). To add on, the closeup in which Norman is nervously chewing candy is meant to bring forth the emotion of the character, in this case being anxiousness. This emotion transforms the more casual questioning into an interrogation. The lighting and various camera techniques progress towards creating an overall suspenseful tone as well as Norman’s distress in potentially being caught as Marion Crane’s murderer.

In various scene’s within the film, Psycho, camera movements, such as various tilts, pans, and closeups, emphasize the internal conflicts of both Marion Crane and Norman Bates. The lighting as well is meant to showcase who the true killer is revealed to be: Norman Bates himself. Ultimately, these techniques work together to showcase the various emotionally distressing moments within the killer and those seeking justice.

References

Prince, S. (2014). Movies and Meaning: An Introduction to Film. Harlow, Essex: Pearson.