Psycho (1960) Third Image Analysis

This image from Psycho (1960) shows aspects of Hitchcock’s strange personality but also is a clear representation of Ed Gein, relating to the context of the time. This scene reveals that Norman is a voyeur and gets a thrill from watching Marion in her bedroom. This links into Laura Mulvey’s “Gaze Theory” which states that, in Hollywood films, women are shot in such a way to give pleasure to the male viewers. This is the first time in which Norman’s weird personality traits are exposed to us so the audience can now see a different side to him, suggesting he is not all that he seems. The low key lighting in this scene is juxtaposed with the bright lighting in Marion’s room, emphasising the dark desire Norman has for her. Hitchcock as a person was too a little strange, for example he once held a party where he dyed all the food blue then watched on and laughed at his guests through a two way mirror. Hitchcock is renowned for his use of voyeuristic characters in his films, such as Uncle Charlie in Shadow of a Doubt (1943) who was a voyeur and a serial killer.