Dawn of the Dead analysis (1979)

The ending scene to Dawn of the Dead shows the final characters as Fran and Peter, which challenges the character conventions of horror films. The final girl is stereotypically dark haired, with blondes being the victim early on and they tend to represent taboos, including having sex which Fran does, therefore making it incredibly rare at this time to have a final girl of this nature. It also goes against the Cultural Dominance Ideology as she smokes and drinks alcohol despite she is pregnant. The film depicts Peter as the male hero which is equally seen as an unusual and rare archetype to have in horror films, especially ones in this time period. influenced by George A Romero’s views on race. In the 1970s, audiences of certain people still had strongly racist views regarding people with other ethnic backgrounds, particularly in the south – adding conformity to Dawn of the Dead as it is set in Philadelphia, a city within Pennsylvania situated North-South of America. Only a small minority were coming to accept black people. Furthermore, this subtly hints at a potential interracial relationship between the two characters which was seen as a shocking aspect to introduce in 1970s culture. Although Fran conveys aspects of negativity, she represents a strong character as she has learned to fly a helicopter and fire a gun so she knows how to look after herself. The close up shot of Fran’s face portrays the notion of feeling lost and empty as Stephen has died and she does not know what may come of the future. Peter decided to stay with Fran despite having initial thoughts to commit suicide, perhaps showing his fear of death which is a recurring theme for films of this genre.

Dawn of the Dead analysis (1979)

The scene from Dawn of the Dead (1979) depicts how Stephen tries to represent himself as the male hero by shooting at a zombie, however he ultimately fails and Roger steps in. It portrays how the horror film is somewhat unconventional as we expect Stephen to be the male hero due to his good looks, but this ideal is reversed onto Peter who is a black protagonist – thus suggesting it is forward thinking for the horror genre. The scene builds tension as the zombie approaches Stephen, but seems to deliver comically when he shoots and misses. Furthermore, this indicates Romero’s influence as an auteur as he alters the conventional stereotypes associated with the horror genre which adds shock/surprise value to Dawn of the Dead. We somewhat empathise for Stephen as his relationship with Fran seems to be breaking down but throughout the film, he represents incompetence by causing the majority of problems that occur for the group which leads to his death. Both men obtain phallic weapons but Roger reflects his strength as he understands how to use the gun correctly, reinforcing his occupation within the army. He also seems to obtain intellectual strength as he develops well planned ideas with Peter to benefit the group.

Psycho Scene Analysis

As Psycho was the first horror film ever made and despite the Hay’s Code’s influence it had over it, people were more terrified of the film in the era it was released in. Whereas in modern times, we have been subject to worse things and horror films have not been dominated by the Hays Code anymore, thus meaning they have become harsher. Janet Straiger supported this in her book Interpreting Films. The lighting behind the figure reflects on the water of the shower – connoting a point of view shot from Marion’s perspective. It also portrays the idea of Norman’s split personality from his schizophrenia and shows that some good may still be present in him. The notion of the silhouette not only signifies the killer’s dark side, but also works to conceal his identity which keeps us in suspense throughout the film, to deliver the shock of the truth at the end of the film. The lighting on the phallic symbol itself is fairly bright in comparison to the figure which emphasises a personal connection – as a gun would not have been as effective in this sense. The concept of the phallic symbol reinforces the idea of Norman’s lust for Marion and the grasp of jealousy that has overcome the mother and has influenced her murderous intention. Furthermore to this point, the stature of the killer connotes the brutality and sadistic nature of the murder.

Psycho Scene Analysis

In this scene, we see Norman watching Marion undress in an act of voyeurism, which supports Laura Mulvey’s ideological views that men like to look at women for visual pleasure. The concept of voyeurism further depicts Norman’s feelings towards Marion and hints at the idea that he is lonely with few opportunities to interact with others. Rather than speak to Marion directly about these feelings, he nervously watches her, as if he is hesitant to talk or see her directly- potentially due to his lack of communication with others. The lighting of the shot is limited and the element of darkness within a tight space plays on the fears of audience members. Again, it signifies the idea that Norman is confined from the real world and trapped by his mother The lighting further emphasises shadows which have been cast over Norman almost entirely, except for the small fragment of light flowing from the hole he is peering in, where Marion’s bedroom is – suggesting Marion still has a large amount of goodness in her despite her actions of stealing the money. Additionally, the small fraction of light on Norman’s face contradicts his darker side and portrays his split personality, and suggests he still has some good nature in him. The lighting effects contrast his actions and looking deeper, this seems to conform to the idea that his worse side has consumed the good and is clouding his judgement, which is why he is watching Marion as she undresses- for if he didn’t have schizophrenia, his actions may be reversed and more pleasant.

Psycho Scene Analysis

This particular scene introduces the concept of birds in the film, when we see Norman speaking to Marion about his mother. The birds on the wall take up a large section of the frame and their wing span seems overpowering, thus perhaps signifying the idea of predator VS prey. Norman reverses and contradicts the way we view him by seemingly being a representation of the predator, therefore connoting potential threat. As Marion mentions about putting his mother in a mad house, it is clear that Norman has become angry and his response combined with the low angle focusing on him represents his power over Marion. The way in which he responds gives us the impression that he has been in an institution, thus portraying the idea that Norman is isolated, lonely and potentially trapped. This is indicated through his words about his mother, speaking as if she is a liability whose needs are confining him to the hotel. Andrew Sarris’ auteur theory applies to Alfred Hitchcock as he was particularly influenced by montage films that used editing to craft emotion; an example of such film was Battleship Potemkin. Hitchcock has embraced and enhanced various techniques which are evident in Psycho, for instance this scene which focuses on a slow montage to create suspense for the audience, until the main build up further on. The low key lighting compliments these factors as the scene evokes a dark atmosphere that seems to foreshadow what is to come. This is also depicted by the shadows cast on the walls and ceilings, which in turn create tension for the audience. Roughly 90% of Norman’s face is dark, but a small fraction where the other half is present is brightly lit, emphasising his schizophrenia and split personality. Furthermore, the fragment of light signifies the notion that although he is a murderer, there is still some essence of good in him and this makes the audience sympathetic towards him.