Psycho Image Analysis 3

The next image is of the dug up remains of Mrs Bates in the cellar. This is the main moment that the film hints at being inspired by Ed Gein as, like Norman, Gein dressed up like his deceased mother and preserved her corpse. This would have been even more powerful to audiences in the context of the film’s 1960 release date. It also shows the theme of loneliness in Psycho as that is the reason Norman has gone to such trouble to preserve her.

Hitchcock uses a swinging light bulb to make the corpse creepier as it animates the mother’s eyes with the distortion of shadows. This is further enhanced by the creepy, enclosed location of the cellar which gives the audience a sense of being trapped underground.

The close up of the skeleton’s face is significant as it shocks the audience further by emphasizing the twist in the plot. It also unsettles the viewer by being so close to the screen. Later in the film, the final shot of Norman has this image of the skull imposed onto Norman’s face to leave the audience uneasy and to connote his split personality.