The document analyzes the famous shower scene from the 1960 horror film Psycho through a mise-en-scene lens. It examines 7 shots from the scene. The shots establish that the character is vulnerable in the shower through being naked. They build tension by obscuring the killer's identity and showing the woman's reaction of shock, pain, and struggle. The final shots symbolize her life draining away and death with her eyes open, staring at the audience.

1. AS Media
Secondary Research
Looking at Mise En Scene in a
horror film - Psycho
By Madeleine Stidder

2. Psycho – shower scene – shot 1
The shower curtain,
enforces that this is
a shower. It does
There woman in the give a modern feel The tiles on the
shower has a short to it as it looks wall suggests
haircut, this plastic. that the
suggests that this
woman is in a
haircut in in fashion
bathroom. The
and she is a modern
tiles are white
women with short
suggesting a
hair. Also she is
clinical or pure
naked, this suggests
place.
that she is
vulnerable.
The water coming down suggests
that she is in the shower. This is
also suggests a sexual context.

3. Psycho – shower scene – shot 2
In this shot the
killers' face is
blacked out.
This was done
on purpose so
that no one
The killer is knows who it is.
holding a knife
in their hand and
looks like they
are going to
attack the main
character.

4. Psycho – shower scene – shot 3
The next shot is
of the woman is
screaming. This
suggests that
she is surprised
and scared. Her
facial expression
is surprised and
shocked. She is
also naked so it
shows she is
vulnerable.

5. Psycho – shower scene – shot 4
In this shot the
killer, is
killing the
woman. The
audience still
don’t know
the identity
of the killer
thought. The
audience just
sees the
arm.
In this shot the
expression
of the
woman is
pain and she
is sliding
down.

6. Psycho – shower scene – shot 5
In this shot the expression of
the woman's face is like
she is slipping away from
life.
Also in the shot the woman’s
had is stretched out, like
wants help.

7. Psycho – shower scene – shot 6
This shot, also
shows water. This
is to suggest that
the woman’s life-
fore is going.
The next shot, shows the drain.
This is to suggest death.

8. Psycho – shower scene – shot 7
The final shot shows the
woman on the floor dead,
her eyes are open to
emphasis that she is
starring into the audience.