Practice mise-en-scene analysis: Psycho

Psycho Analysis

·       A headshot has been used to show the drama.

·       It’s in black and white.

·       An over the shoulder shot has been used. 

·       Scratch and claw shows the violence that is used in this scene.

·       The sound effects start off dramatic and they fade, then they get louder again afterwards.

·       The quality isn’t that good, because it’s an old film.

·       the mis en scene has stuffed animals in it as props and food too.

·       The costumes are old to fit the scene of the film.

·       The male asks mysterious questions and he is a very strange character.

·       Low angle shots are used to show that the male character has power and is looking down at the female.

·       There is a close up shot to show the women’s emotions in her face when the male is acting strange.

·       A longshot has been used so that you can see the length and width of the house. The house looks very dark and sinister.

·       A medium close up has been used to show how the body language is used.

·       He strokes one of his stuffed animals which is really strange and the audience might question his actions.

·       The setting is really creepy.

·       The male talks about graves and deaths and the lady has a shocked face but tries to hide it.

·       The male has a creepy smile and then he has a blank expression when he talks about his mother and he hardly blinks.

·       Then the music becomes dramatic again as he talks and as the women struggles for words.

·       The music gives you chills and makes the audience want to know what happens next.

·       He admits that he goes mad sometimes and so does the women, she stands up and says that she is tired.

·       He picks the book up and smiles, looks at the women’s name, because she lies about her surname then he smiles and puts the book down then walks away.

·       He asks personal questions and she is speechless, tries to change the subject that she is tired.

·       At the beginning a women shouts ‘’you have the guts boy’’, and a voice replies ‘’shut up shut up.’’ Then the women looks back and forth and sighs.

·       The man is out of breath at the beginning of the clip, to show that he has done something out of anger.

·       He says his hobby is taxidermy, that just shows that he is a weirdo.

·       He looks happy stroking his bird and says that the women eats like a bird. 

·       The core looks like it would in the olden days.

·       There is not much make up used in this scene, just on the women’s face.

·       There is use of non-direct mode of address, which means that the characters aren’t looking directly at you, and the atmosphere is mysterious and intriguing. 

·       Low key lighting is used to show shadows, which suggests doom and horror.

·       They are quite far apart which suggests that the women doesn’t trust the man and doesn’t have a close relationship with him.