Vertigo - Scene Anylysis

Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock 1958)

Studied Through Mulvey's Psychoanalysis

Hitchcock's film Vertigo is a film that can have psychoanalysis applied to it such as Laura Mulvey and her theory on patriarchal cinema. When observing this film you do it through the eyes of a male protagonist and the direction of Alfred Hitchcock which in of its self may be male centred but not exactly patriarchal. The idea of something lacking leading to the obsessive looking through the eyes of a man and the enjoyment gained from that. This brings together elements of Mulvey's theory which can be explored and applied to this film.

The 1st moment in the film where the male gaze can be spotted is in the opening of the film where there is a female form, fractured and shown in extreme close up and tightly framed. The technical signification of having the parts of a female tightly centred and framed make it become the focus for the audience, a fractured female meant to be seen as an object and in this case in mystery. The camera throughout is the audiences view point and by showing us this we become interested in wanting to know the whole image. It was technically edited to have a red filter on the womans eye too giving us the idea of a mysterious woman is dangerous but a woman is to be sexually desired with the many meanings of the colour applied to this one shot of passion and danger.

2nd I would point out the scene where Scotty is peaking out at the female character, Madeline, from a slightly opened door where we see a flower shop. When he first peeks the framing has a whole third dedicated to flowers to highlight that it is pretty and women should be pretty. You could go further and draw lines to that women like flowers only bloom for a short while which is why it is mainly the young women are shown by them or even that women are a commodity like the flowers able to be purchased, acquired for a price.

Throughout the film the young women are placed in front of flowers and by placing women by these flowers in the miss en scene we can confirm connections between the two and infer that Hitchcock finds the beauty of women is to be looked at and framed to heighten this.

Not only that but in the flower shop scene in particular we see the male gaze portrayed by cutting back to Scotty peeking through and watching, affirming that you too are meant to watch like a male, making men copy the actions and women to aspire to be passive. A similar example is also of the art piece in the gallery where Scotty observes Madeline observing a painting but from the point of view of the camera as Scotty, the audience, the "male", it becomes a painting of its own.

Scotty late in the film after having lost what he perceived to be his love but may have just been what filled his lack. He wants to fill it again but not anyone will do, he wants his pretty woman back just as he remembers when he sees someone in the street who looks remarkably similar he pursues. From this encounter he becomes fixated on making her look as she does in his mind, you could say he is trying to craft her who sort of fills his lack to fit perfectly. To make her into his perfect woman through his male gaze it is then shown technically with shots that pause like the mystery is being peiced together and music which portrays the slight sadness that she does not yet look like Madeline, exploring the scopophillic side. The narrative informs the audience by having her buy the same dress and dye her hair the same colours. "I just want you to look nice." Said by Scotty in the dress shop. Heavily implies the male gaze by stating that I (the male) want you (slightly dominating) to look (scopophillic) nice (perfect, the way you should as you are a woman).

There is the Hair Dye Scene 

Finally when the image is completed the Scotty who quite shyly is looking towards he changes once she has finally submitted and became the passive being he wants to see. It is shown by a mid shot of him turning with loose framing and the focus on Scottie. We then have the reverse showing another mid shot but a but tighter framing before we return back to a close up of Scottie's face. This is a close up of his face so we can see him looking, gazing, at her but also to see his pleased expression on viewing her in her perfect form. The shallow depth of focus in this shot gives us just the face to see, to affirm the male gaze to the audience.

The male gaze is definitely at play here in Vertigo and it was prevalent in many of Hitchcock's movies, He being a heterosexual man himself would have high probabilities in being the director and having a predominantly male crew (as seen in credits) of showing the male view and an older sexist view of women. What would make this theory less prevalent now would be people following mulveys theory and would be aware of this and also with people of more backgrounds making film different sexual view points are exploited like female and queer gaze.

The Machinist - Freudian Psychoanalysis

The Machinist

Freudian Psychoanalysis Film Studies

The Machinist (2004) was directed by Brad Anderson and starred Christian Bale. A film that revolves around a character, a man named Trevor Reznik who works in a machine parts shop, visits an airport cafe most nights and has frequent visits with a "hooker". The film develops as the audience is shown that the main character is not in his right mind shown through the actor being emaciated. Reznik is struggling to come to terms with a hit and run incident and his mind causes paranoia and incidents. Reznik is warned frequently through the film by various manifestations of the Super Ego.

In the Machine Shop we can see how his bosses are split with a middle manager and a head of department. We can assume that the abuse that the middle manager hurls at him is the severe punishing side of the super ego, the drive to get things done and efficiently, whilst the head manager is concerned of the self saying that Reznik looks sick and should get help. The role of the super ego being split as real people is then repeated within his own mind where he creates another version of himself who is also fed up and drained. Initially this new side of him represents the Id the impulsive rough ball of a force that is shown smoking, wearing sunglasses and a leather jacket to emphasise his rebelliousness. Technically in the screen capture shown below we are introduced through a medium close up low angle shot giving this mental break the power. The shots framing is loose, enough so that we can see the outline of car and the focusing is deep enough so that you can see the character against its background and feel the distance between him and the wearhouse.

The Ghost Ride scene after Reznik has offered to look after the boy, of the waitress in the airport cafe, is a scene where his subconscious Super Ego comes through in the attraction. Shown in the miss-en-scene there are words and images that have the guilt and retrubutional side of the mind become real as he slowly passes by on the railed cart. The hanged man because he was "Guilty" of his crimes but alone by a tree signifies a self punishment. The Sheriff's office is shown as a way out for Reznik the dead man already hinting that he should hand himself in. Technically shot in deep focus so that you get all the meaning that you can from it and whilst all is seen it is in the background for the audience to see that it is not in his Ego the forefront of his mind.

There is then a simulated car accident which mirrors what happened in real life, his Super Ego reminding him overtly but through an almost comical means that he ran over a kid. After this there is a choice in the tracks, tracks in of its self signify a planned route, where he pleads to the child to take the path of hope and forgiveness but through his actions he is forced only to take the highway to hell. His choicelessness could be considered the impulses of the Id which caused the actions and the need to carry on after the accident and the Super Ego reusing this fact to instil guilt making him have no choice in which path just as the boy had no choice in being ran over. Letting the boy have this choice in the scene is a symbolic way of supporting that idea.

Prison becomes the resolution for Reznik's story as after he has faced his previous actions and realised that it was his mind telling him to repent he relents and heads to the police office. As he arrives and decides on his decision he glances out of the window to see his other self bidding farewell or a greeting as the split is no longer needed now he is atoning for his transgression.

When Reznik is taken to his cell the super ego's repentance is shown technically by having white, clean colour on the walls and surroundings and having three persons in shot is a realised identity and a complete mind again. He is placed in his cell which is framed in thirds again to show that he is the Ego the one in control again but with the thirds that was shown before the other elements are still there but back in the subconscious. Finally that character is laid down on his bed, which in the white room looks holy or religious, so after being denied sleep for so long his is given his rest.

Freuds theory of the Id, Ego and Super Ego is around this film and unlike many films where people are shown to stay mad where they reside within their Id, kept impulsive and untamed, The Machinist focuses on the discovery and making up with the mind by owning up to transgressions made.

Psychoanalytical Film - First Ideas

First Film Ideas

Mulvey Theory Based Idea

Wanted to include elements from the theory like fragmentation, clothing and setting to show and explore the male gaze on screens. From films like

Lacan Theory Based Idea

The obsessive need to want and possess someone so far that it would change everything you are to achieve filling that hole in your mind but after so much change the object of desire is no longer the right shape to fill that gap or even never would of in the first place. The use of mirrors would be use during the outward change of the character, as the mirror is the Ideal state, I would have say a man breathe in and hold his stomach whilst the camera is pointed at the mirror then have him breathe out when pointed at him to show this difference between the reality and the perceived Ideal. I would also do the same with clothes and body language showing maybe a well kept suit and standing tall in the reflection of a window then looking through the glass show a slouched messily dressed character with a weak smile. Music that could be use could be that 80s song obsession.

Freud Theory Based Idea - Chosen

My idea for exploring the Id, Ego and Super Ego was to have a narrative of

It will be set in my house utilising the ground floor, upstairs and attic level to give the symbolic levels of the Id, Ego and Super Ego. I will explore the theory by having an actor playing the Ego (our protagonist if you could call him that) and another actor playing the Syd the Id. I want the id to be challenging the Ego's believes and fears of the Super Ego who will be known as "The Man Upstairs" to also create a polysemic film exploring religious themes.

After watching a few clips from various experimental movies I would like to give the Super Ego a personified object as its symbolic source using perhaps a light or in the absence of a man upstairs , making the upstairs seem more alive through the camera. The characterisation and actions that the actors playing the Ego and the Id will be through suggestion of a new idea to be improvised , this would get a more natural response of which the Ego and Id are to be representing with the Ego naturally trying to forfil everyones needs a bit of a people pleaser who could respond to the Ids impulsive and primitive actions of which and improvisational approach would make that more apparent and mistakes may still be included.