Camera Angles Assignment

                                                                         Psycho

I chose this film because I love classic horror and I was able to easily find the full movie online. I've seen other Hitchcock films before and I almost find them nostalgic (my dad made me watch The Birds with him when I was far too young). The angles utilized in Psycho are beautifully done and are a perfect representation of how such a small thing can manipulate the viewer's emotions. The shots presented below represent the scenes that stood out to me the most as well as having the most impactful angles.

In the driving scene when Marion first leaves town with the $40,000 she is consumed with immense guilt and anxiety about being caught. This close-up leaves the viewer unable to escape her gaze in the same way that she's unable to escape her thoughts. This could also be categorized as a neutral shot because she is surrounded nearly entirely with darkness (thus bringing back more attention to her face). Close-ups bring a feeling of intimacy with whatever we're looking at. I feel so invested in her crime that it's almost as if I committed it. 

This is a very striking and visually interesting bird's eye view of the film's second murder scene. Here, the suspense was painstakingly built until the private investigator got to the top of the staircase. In the blink of an eye the angle radically changes from the previous medium shot and Mother rushes at him with a knife. Seeing violence from above really does bring a sort of depth that couldn't be experienced from any other angle. It's also the sudden cut that gives the viewer the disorientation and shock that the investigator received. The bird's eye view is terrifying because of it's lack of motion. The camera is momentarily frozen in place like a deer in headlights.

As Marion's body finally collapses to the floor, this shot of her lifeless face is something truly disturbing. The film utilizes an extreme close-up here in order to convey small details. Right off the bat, her unblinking eyes are something analogous to a dead fish in a seafood shop. She landed haphazardly so we can see how her nose and mouth are smooshed against the tile floor. This angle fulfills its purpose of being unsettling because we are literally face to face with a cold, wet corpse, in fact, you can see each individual water droplet. 

What I find so intriguing about this medium shot is how normal it is. This is prior to the revelation of Norman's true persona and prior to Marion's death. This angle shows them as equals, even as friends because of how welcoming Norman's body language is. The viewer too distracted by their casual attitudes to brace for the horror that comes soon after. This is the type of shot that would be seen in a rom-com or sitcom, not a slasher. When the viewer is taken off their guard and begins to think they're safe, that is exactly when a film can garner genuine screams out of audiences.