PSYCHO - MARION PACKS TO LEAVE
1. MLS Marian at work. She exits right, leaving office. Dissolve into her apartment, where she enters from left (presumably from bathroom), now wearing BLACK underwear. She approaches closet, pauses to look down on bed, turns back to closet. Camera dollies in, tilts down to CU the white envelope of money, in stark contrast to dark bedspread. Camera dollies in further to ECU of money visible in the envelope - $100 bills. "Guilt Theme" starts, becoming louder, more ominous as the scene progresses. Camera tilts up and travels left to reveal her open, packed suitcase. 24"
2. MS Marian in closet. We see photo of child on wall to her left. She turns, approaches camera, begins to put on her stockings out of frame. Looks up quickly towards bed. 4"
3. ECU the gleaming white envelope. 1"
4. MCU Marian looking pensive, puts light-colored blouse on over black bra, buttons it up to its high collar, steps into shoes. She moves slightly to her right; camera pans to follw. She looks down, presumably at suitcase. We see bathroom behind her as she moves towards suitcase. 10"
5. CU open suitcase, hand putting in slippers and white slip. 4"
6. Same setup as #4. Marian raises herself up, tucks in blouse, sighs, looks down at suitcase. She quickly looks screen left and moves quickly left to mirror, camera pans left to follow her. She looks at herself in mirror, adjusting clothing. She pauses, looks down, then, hesitantly, back, over her shoulder, towards the bed. 13"
7. HA the bed. Open suitcase in foreground, white envelope smaller, but prominent in back. 2"
8. Same setup as #6. MCU Marian. Quickly looks down and closes purse, avoiding mirror. She moves right, puts nightgown in suitcase, looks right, looks left, then moves quickly left and downstage with her purse, camera dollying back to keep her in MCU. Looking down, she places her savings book in her purse, lifts document folder, undoes elastic band. 18"
9. HA ECU (Insert) her fingers flipping through papers. One says "Auto." She lifts the folder to reveal her purse behind it. She places folder in purse. 5"
10. Same as end of #8. Marian rises (Bathroom visible behind her.) Turns head to look right. Moves upstage and right to close suitcase, camera following. On wall behind her we see a photo of her parents (?). Camera dollies in further to put her in MCU, bending over suitcase. She looks down. 10"
11. ECU (insert) the envelope. 1"
12. Resume end of #10. MLS Marian leaning over suitcase, staring towards envelope, which is out of frame. Rises, but continues, briefly, to look at envelope. Lifts purse, and continuing to stare towards envelope, goes round bed, approaches camera (ELA), never taking eyes off money, then stares away and collapses into sitting position on bed. Without looking at it, she picks up the envelope, bringing it into frame, and places it in her purse, looking determined. Her parents' picture is visible over her left shoulder, mirror over her right. She pauses for a moment to look up, then quickly rises with purse slung over her arm. Moves around bed to lift suitcase, moves right to closet, camera panning right to follow. Removes coat from closet, closes closet door, opens bedroom door, quickly, looking down.
During this shot music becomes higher pitched, then gradually softer.
Dissolve to MCU Marian in her car. 31"
Analysis
This is an interesting scene for several reasons. First, it is a pivotal scene: it signals the shift in Marian from law-abiding citizen to outlaw. During the time that we can imagine before the previous scene (Marion at work) and this one, Marion has obviously already made her decision to steal the money--she is wearing black underwear now! And the money is lying on her bed! But it is a decision that already fills her with enormous guilt. Throughout the scene Marion acts determined, yet tentative, as if she must force herself to go through with this. The music that we might call "Marian's Guilt Theme" begins during this scene.
Another significant thing about this scene is that it is pure cinema: we have no dialogue, no voice-over narration, yet by means of editing, sightlines, and frame composition, we are brought directly into Marian's mind. This scene is a two-minute tour de force.
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