Analysis: Car Scene

Question 1

How is CAMERA used in the Car scene? (shot types)

Answer 1

• Close-up shots of Marion driving are interspersed with wide POV shots of the road

Question 2

How does SOUND appear in the Car scene?

Answer 2

Digetic:
- Rain
- Voices (from Marion’s head)
Non-Digetic
- Music: the score

Question 3

How do SOUND and LIGHT to the building of tension to a climax of fear in this scene?

Answer 3

• The growing intensity of the SOUND of the rain over the course of the scene adds to a sense of danger
• Changes in the natural LIGHT displayed, from light to dark, build tension - the dark elevates a sense of danger

Question 4

What CODES convey the Form CONVENTION of STRUCTURING OF TIME in this scene?

Answer 4

• LIGHTING: changes in natural light indicate the passage of time from day to night
• EDITING: CROSS-DISSOLVE transitions between shots of Marion and shots of the road are used to indicate time passing

Question 5

What type of LIGHTING is used in this scene? What does it convey?

Answer 5

• Low-key, high-contrast lighting
• Draws attention to the subtleties of the expressions Janet Leigh acts: positioning Marion’s CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT as the focal point of the scene, showing her emotions and feelings toward her actions

Question 6

What does Marion’s smile (ACTING) symbolise?

Answer 6

• Marion’s smile situates her character as taking pleasure in the immoral act of stealing: situating her as morally grey, and subverting the normal archetype of the protagonist

Question 7

How does FORESHADOWING show up?

Answer 7

Marion’s smile foreshadows Norman Bates’ smile at the end of the film: showcasing the similarities in the characters/their psychological strangenesses?

Question 8

What significant element does the car scene in Psycho highlight about the protagonist’s character?

Answer 8

The car scene highlights Marion Crane’s desire for freedom and escape from societal constraints.

Question 9

True or False: The car scene in Psycho reflects the growing mobility and independence of women in the 1960s.

Answer 9

True

Question 10

Fill in the blank: The car scene in Psycho serves as a metaphor for Marion’s ________ in pursuit of her desires.

Answer 10

journey

Question 11

Which societal values are contrasted in the car scene of Psycho?

Answer 11

The contrast is between traditional values of family and morality versus the emerging values of individualism and personal freedom.

Question 12

What does the breakdown of Marion’s car symbolize in the context of the film?

Answer 12

The breakdown symbolizes the collapse of her plans and the inevitable return to societal norms.