PURE
CINEMA UNBOUND:
THE
SHOWER SCENE IN PSYCHO
Hitchcock did not make any
horror movies except two: Psycho
(1960) and The
Birds (1963). It is not altogether unfortunate that Hitchcock is sometimes
know only for these two movies, for they vividly demonstrate and realize
the ideal of pure cinema.
In Psycho, the lengthy build-up
to the shocking shower scene is central. It is the most central part of
the film. Perfectly fitting the movie is the music by Bernard
Herrmann --who was a partner
to Hitchcock in several of his films. In the beginning of the film, for
more than 45 minutes, we are led into a story of sex, deceit, seduction,
theft, cheating, fear, and desire. Then something horrible happens.
A woman steals a large
sum of money so she can marry her divorcee boyfriend.
On the run, she is questioned
by a police officer, sells her car, and
is caught by a sudden rain
storm.
She decides to check
in at a motel, where she is greeted by the proprietor, a young man with
a passion for stuffing birds...
The woman and the young
man dine together. They go into the parlor of the motel. While she eats
like a bird, they talk.
The woman returns to
her room. She is remorseful and decides to go back home, return the money,
and accept the punishment she deserves.
She undresses to take
a shower.
The young man watches her
through a peephole.
Then she is murdered.
.
The
Punishment She Deserves
The shower scene is an intricately
assembled sequence of images that lasts but few minutes. This is pure cinema
at its best. There is no substitute for experiencing the scene in the film.
Format
1: Movie segment: check
Youtube.
Format
2: Moving Picture Composite: This
small
picture composite provides a somewhat more vivid if speedy rendition
of the segmented shots above.
Format
3: Picture
Composite: This photographic
representation contains a few select but significant segments of the
scene. Click on image for sound!
.
Mother
After the woman has
died, we hear a voice from inside the house.
But who is really guilty
is yet to be discovered...
