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Comparing the Shower Scene from Psycho with the Boat Scene from Jaws

Decent Essays

Comparing the Shower Scene from Psycho with the Boat Scene from Jaws

I have chosen the second question 'compare the famous shower scene from Psycho with the boat scene from Jaws. How do the directors build up tension here?' I am going to compare various things such as camera angles/shots, music, lightning, long and short edits, dramatic irony and sound.

Jaws is a film about 3 brave men set out to kill a man eating shark who seems to be unconquerable as it has killed a lot of people in the past, the attacks he has made look horrifying and the men set out to kill it look like they have very little chance. They use a small boat as they hunt for the shark, the boat is small and the shark knows what …show more content…

After a frightening scene it plays relaxing music and now the audience are relaxed and therefore don't expect the next scene which is the boat scene to be frightening. But it is and the audience will be scared as the shark attacks. The music that gives you a clue that the shark is coming can be very nerve racking as you don't know when it is going to attack the boat, while the men are having fun.

Psycho music is very different; it is more expecting for the audience because the music is very high pitched. The director has used the obvious choice of music, but has picked very chilling music and makes the audience tense. During the shower scene the music is played and you feel it as the mother is killing the victim. It has the killing effect and after the music it stays in your head until the next scene as you don't want it to be played again.

The boat scene is very different to the shower scene, but they both build up a lot of tension. The Jaws boat scene builds up its tension by focusing around the boat and the men. The audience will feel a bit jumpy as they don't expect the shark coming, but the tension created has to end, it is the tension that makes you scared.

Psycho shower scene builds up tension by focusing on the girl non stop for a little while, and it shows you the girl getting in the shower, now you expect that something sinister will happen because at the beginning of

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