Psycho: Parlor Scene

The scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho in the hotel parlor is one of the most famous from this all-time great film. I'll refer to it as the "Parlor Scene." The Parlor Scene is perhaps the greatest example of foreshadowing in the film. It starts with the discussion of Norman Bates' hobby of taxidermy as a "curious, uncommon" hobby. These are both of course accurate descriptions, as you don't find many people who throughly enjoy stuffing dead bodies. This is the first case of foreshadowing, as we know, Norman's mother has been dead for many years, and he most likely preserved her body himself. Additionally, Norman says, "A hobby should pass the time, not fill it." Indicating that he only does taxidermy to fill time, showing how much time he has on his hands, adding to his creepy aura. Next, he says, "A boy's best friend is his mother," which is of course foreshadowing of Norman's insane obsession with his own mother. By the end of the film, many of the quotes from this scene start to make sense as facts about Norman's past are revealed, including the impersonation of his mother. Finally, there is a consistent use of low angle shots of Norman to indicate a position of power, and low angle shots with stuffed birds above Mary. These put Mary in an inferior position, where the viewer gets the sense that Mary is the birds' prey. This is obviously the case, as she is killed later that night, by who we now is Norman acting as his own mother. Camera angles are used masterfully throughout the scene, and lastly used when Mary makes the decision to leave the parlor and go to bed. As she makes this decision and exerts a position of power while Norman pleads for her to stay, the camera switches to low angle shots of Mary and high angle shots of Norman, using fundamental camera angles to give the scene a different mood. Hitchcock directs this scene beautifully, and uses foreshadowing and camera angles to great effect. This scene is scary because there is tension throughout and suspense. Norman has an uncertain emotion throughout, he often seems very serious and laughs it off as though something is seriously troubling him. Since it's very difficult to gauge Norman's intentions, the scene is scary.