Comparison of Psycho & V For Vendetta Shower Scenes - (Camera Shots and Angles)

The two clips I have been looking at are both shower scenes from V for Vendetta and Psycho. Both are shot very differently through camera shots, angles and framing. This shot shows the amount of drugs in Prothero's bathroom, shifting the audiences focus away from him to the drugs. This is also one of the first shots, and shows that Prothero showering in this scene is not necessarily significant.

The first shot in the Psycho clip is of Marion Crane closing the door, then taking of her clothes. This suggests that the woman should be on her own in private and her naked body is secretive, also this may suggest that we as an audience are viewing her and therefore invading her privacy.  
A shot shows the various amount of things Prothero is doing whilst preparing to have his shower, the camera uses a medium long shot to show all that he is doing, drinking, watching the TV and talking on the phone. This shows his shower isn't that significant in the scene.

Looking at both shower scenes in Psycho and V for Vendetta they are quite different in terms of what is going on. In Psycho the woman is only shown undressing and having a shower doing nothing else, (also later being stabbed) this makes the scene more intimate and the audiences focus is on her while she showers. In V for Vendetta, Prothero is doing various things: taking pills, on a phone, watching the TV and still watching the TV whilst showering, this divides the audiences attention making him in the shower not to be the main focus in the scene.

There are several close-ups in Psycho especially on Marion Crane, it can be said that she is seen as a sex symbol as her body and face are the main focus throughout the scene, this also highlights her appearance. There is no depth of field used keeping the scene very intimate as it is only the shower that is used as the setting. Their is a graphic match between the shower hole and the woman's eye, showing that they are both similar in the fact they are lifeless, the woman has been killed and the shower hole is an inanimate object.

In V for Vendetta depth of field is used quite effectively with the wide bathroom being shown along with the entrance to the house, expanding the scene and using various settings. There are also no close-ups on Prothero in this scene showing that his appearance is not significant.

Looking at both the shower scenes in V for Vendetta and Psycho I would say that the shower scene from Psycho is an example of voyeurism, rather than V for Vendetta. There are multiple things on-going in V for Vendetta and there is no camera focus put on Prothero, also only mid shots are shown on his body (from shoulders up). Looking at Psycho the woman remains in focus and is mostly the main focus of the camera, she is also in an intimate space in which she is only showering. There are also side boob shots and her melodramatic happiness she experiences when showering looks like she's having an orgasm. Also her whole body is filmed from feet to head, this does suggest that she is the subject of voyeurism for the audience to view.

V for Vendetta Editing & Narrative Analysis

The first clip of V for Vendetta in which V and Evey are introduced the whole thing is done using continuity editing. The editing in the clip shows the use of cross cutting alternating between V and Evey which establishes a relationship between the two characters and foreshadows an encounter they will have.








The use of continuous editing is to give the clip a smooth transition as well as continuity and relationship being established through various shots included in the scene.








Cross cutting  adds suspense as well as giving smooth continuity to this scene from V for Vendetta. Cross cutting also suggests the two actions are happening simultaneously and enable the audience to create a deeper meaning of the relation the shots have with one another.

Both V and Evey are shown looking into a mirror in separate locations whilst also watching the TV and switching it of at the same time. Rhythmic editing is also used as both shots of the two shots are edited together so they follow the pace of each other and follow on from one another. 

Additionally through rhythmic editing both of the shots follow the pace of the background music, the cross cutting becomes shorter to build suspense up to the point where both the characters Evey and V encounter upon one another.

There is also a domino montage clip from the film V for Vendetta in which a lot of juxtaposition (the Kuleshov effect) .In this clip it starts with a cross cut between Eric Finch and a little girl both receiving a package containing a Guy Fawkes mask.

Due to the use of cross cut editing the sequences look like they are occurring simultaneously. The main two sequences that are going on at the same time and edited together in this scene are V in the room with the domino's and Finch with Dominic Stone at the detectives office. Several different shots are edited between these sequences. The use of juxtaposition editing enables the audience to create meanings and interpretations between the various shots used, a lot of foreshadowing the future along with flashbacks are used through juxtaposition in this scene.

By using a cross cut between Finch and the little girl receiving packages, although it only shows Finch recieving a package due to the cross cut edit the film suggests that both characters have received the same packages at the same time.





Then another shot is shown of the little girl with the Guy Fawkes mask on to confirm that her and Finch have received identical packages.






There is a cross cut to a man robbing a corner shop also with a Guy Fawkes mask, saying the words 'Anarchy in the UK', this foreshadows the danger the the country will have later.






The scene then cross cuts to Creedy being 'held responsible' by Sutler regarding the distribution of the masks and the close up on his face showing vengeance foreshadows the killing of Sutler by Creedy.




 A lot of various shots that have already been seen in the film are then featured again in the film through cross cutting, they all appear very quickly on screen to keep the mystery of the story. Although all the shots look random as they are all put together the audience create links between them to see how they are related to one another.

Shots of V lining up the domino's are continually shown, this shows that this is happening as the same time as Finch and Stone are talking at the police station.

A significant cross cut is used when it shows Evey and V both after undergoing torture and having similar body stances, this shows how both now are equally stronger because of what has happened to them.



In the scene it shows a future shot for the first time that hasn't yet happened of Creedy and his men shooting, but the person they are shooting is not shown to add to the suspense

A cross cut is shown of V finally completing the lining up of the domino's and then hitting them so they all fall down except one, their is a use frame editing by slowing down the film speed when showing the domino's.

This shows a more clear view of the domino's for the audience to see them falling down properly. The fact that one domino does not fall foreshadows that V has a problem involving his plan and this is later revealed as he dies whilst trying to fulfil the plan.