RESEARCH: Intertextuality

Intertexuality is used to describe the visual refrencing between films. It, to a certain extent involves fllms 'borrowing' certain aspects of a scene from one another, in which the audience may recognise through certain camera angles,mise en scene, sound or editing in some films that the audience may have seen in others.

Psycho:

Alfred Hitchcock's 1960's thriller 'Psycho', is an example of a film, in which others use intertexuality to borrow certain aspects, particualarly from the shower scene, in which the audience witness the killing of the female protaganist. 

The scene uses camera, mise en scene, editing and sound to create a sense of peril and hostility. For example it uses close- ups of the protaganists face and the knife, along with the diegetic sound of screaming to signify danger, whilst also using a slow to fast pace in editing to raise anticipation and finally get to the action. 

Here Hitchcock uses the image of the knife, being held by the antagonist, to signify the danger and peril  that the protagonist is about to experience- intriguing and creating an serious impact on the audience. 

The scene also uses a close-up of the protagonists face after they have been murdered.  

Fatal Attraction:

Fatal attraction is an example of a film that uses intertexuality to copy some aspects of Hitchcock's 'Psycho' shower scene, in their scene showing the bathroom brawl. This scene uses similar mise en scene, camera, editing and sound to create a fast pace and a sense of danger. 

For example... 

Similarly 'Fatal Attraction' uses a close-up shot of a knife, to signify danger and violence. This makes the audience aware of the consequences of the scene due to their knowledge of the significance of the knife in Psycho's famous shower scene. 

Similar, to Hitchcock's use of the close-up of the face of the character murdered, however this time the antagonist is the victim, Fatal attraction's bathroom scene also uses a close-up, giving the audience the thought that this is in fact the end of the antagonists life. This effectively gives the director power over the audiences minds.