The document analyzes Alfred Hitchcock's use of camera techniques and editing to create suspense and horror in the famous shower scene from Psycho. It notes that Hitchcock uses close-up shots and zooming on the curtain and Marion's hand to build tension. He also uses sound design and editing with quick cuts between shots to depict what is happening. Some shots are from Marion's point of view to involve the audience directly in the attack. Killing Marion Crane so early in the film leaves the audience wondering what will happen next and makes the story more intriguing.

1. Analyzing ‘Psycho’ -
Shower Scene!
Afreen Shahid 13T

2. HOW DOES HITCHCOCK CREATE
SUSPENSE & HORROR?
 By the use of different camera angles e.g. the close up zoom on the camera curtain
which depicts the dark figure holding the knife. This fills the scene with suspense and
tension as Marion is not aware of what is behind her and the use of zoom also highlights
the fact that something horrendous is about to occur.
 There is another close up on her hand and a downward tilt which shows her hand
slowly falling. This symbolizes her last moment alive as the intruder stabs her to death
and this yet again raises suspension as we don’t know who the murderer is.
 Hitchcock also uses sound to portray the events happening in the scene for example
when she is taking a shower, there is no music but you can hear the water from the
shower and this may symbolize purification which may show she is washing her sins away.

3. SUSPENSE & HORROR #2
 When the intruder faces Marion, the music is suddenly high pitched
and very frantic, capturing the pain of Marion being stabbed continuously
by the intruder. Explicitly, we see Marion being stabbed on the body but
there are also some shots showing the killer attempting to stab her.
 Editing is very important in this scene because the audience should
know what exactly is going on at every moment for example when Marion
is being attacked, there were short cuts to her reaction and to her killers
and this yet again makes the scene more horrific to watch.

4. ROLE OF THE AUDIENCE
 Only some scenes in which the camera shot is a point of view. This allows the
audience to be in Marion’s mind. One of these shots was in the shower scene and it
was an eye level shot of the actual intruder attacking her. This emphasizes the fact that
the audience are forced to be put into Marion’s place and it actually feels like the
intruder is attacking you which makes it even more scarier.
 There is some subjective treatment and this makes the audience fee more involved
as they can only see what Marion Crane can see at times.
 However, there are also ordinary shots which is objective treatment due to the fact
that the camera is placed on Marion herself to depict her emotions of being attacked
which were fear and anger.

5. THE DEATH OF MARION
CRANE
 There is a big impact of killing Marion Crane in the first forty five minutes of the
film because it keeps the audience wondering what would happen next without the actual
leading lady in the film.
 It also shows that there is more of a story behind the death and this makes the film
more interesting as it raises suspicion because the murder still has to be solved by
somebody.
 This doesn’t really happen in other horror films I have seen for example in the film
‘Saw’, there is always a survivor at the end who is usually portrayed as the main actor.
Without a main actor, the film would seem pretty empty as the plot mainly revolves
around them.