analysis on "sin city" and "psycho"

i chose to analyse these films as they are both in black and white, however made in very different times as sin city was made in 2005 and psycho in 1960.

Sin City- 2005,– Quentin Tarantino, Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez

In this scene, we see a man be tied up and pistol whipped by a group of women in a room with large windows, illuminated by gas lights and decorated in a almost gothic feel.

In sin city, the director uses black and white film, to create a “noir” feeling to the film, Asif it was filmed a while ago. The women who are torturing the man are all very glamourous , with full hair and faces of makeup, mimicking a vintage black and white movie. Although it is filmed in black and white, the blood is still red, making it contrast to the rest of the scene and stand out. One of the women also have blue eyes, which makes us think she might some significance, as she is the only one.

Four point light is used in this scene to illuminate it and bring dimension, but yet to allow it to feel dark and gloomy, but not so dark that large shadows get cased upon the ladies faces.

The women are in black leather outfits, almost dominatrix-esque while they are torturing this man and pistol whipping him so badly he has facial wounds, making it seem they are possibly bad themselves. With the dark colours the women are wearing and their almost gothic or pinup style makeup, we have associated with them being possibly evil or part of the antagonist of the film.

Psycho- 1960, alfred hitchcock

This is also a black and white film, but from 45 years prior. At the beginning of the scene we see a rather domestic looking setting, with a man carrying a tray with a jug on it outside on the front patio. There are far more prevalent shadows as it seems to be illuminated by only one porch light. Both of them are dressed in typical clothes of the late 50’s and early 60’s.

They go inside and it seems to be yet again only illuminated by one light, from the left side, casting shadows across their faces, making the setting dark and almost as if the scene is being taken place at night or at least early evening. The man and woman both head into the office which is dark at first but the man goes and turns on a small side lamp and we see a taxidermy owl, who looks like his mid-flight, creating an eerie feel of the room. The room is decorated in delicate looking ornaments, suggesting affluence and money.

The camera keeps flitting in between the man and woman, showing the back and forth nature of the conversation between the two. The man starts stroking the birds in his collection, without breaking eye contact, which creates a sinister feel to the scene.