Continually Confusing - Part Two

“What is drama but life with the dull bits cut out.” Alfred Hitchcock

Here Hitchcock may have been referring to elliptical editing, the technique of compressing time, skipping the unnecessary (“the dull bits”), while maintaining continuity.

puffin.creighton.edu/fapa/Bruce/0New%20Film%20as%20Art%20webfiles/all%20texts%20and%20articles/editing/editing.htm

These shot setups from his 1960 film, Psycho, seem more representative of temporal or continuity editing but demonstrate some of the same technique.

The scene is presented in “real” time. Where he has allowed the viewer to skip the “dull bits”, he has accomplished it via edits. The camera is not static but cuts to the shots necessary to progress the story, heighten drama and view the players’ actions and reactions.

The diagram below represent the various camera set ups employed in the scene. It’s apparent that this is not a conventional sequence. Hitchcock has not adhered to the 180° rule. From the establishing shot he employs many different angles. Hitchcock though could not be accused of being an unthinking, sloppy film maker.

puffin.creighton.edu/fapa/Bruce/0New%20Film%20as%20Art%20webfiles/all%20texts%20and%20articles/editing/editing.htm

Perhaps most noticeable, most far removed from the established viewing angles are the shots from the driver’s point of view, of the policeman in front of the car (Set Up I). It appears that Hitchcock has used eye line and trace to lead the viewer’s eye.

We can break down the shots in this way:

	Set Up H	Low angle mid two shot. We’re under the gaze of the police officer, stuck in the car with Marion. Her eyes are down as she reluctantly hands over her licence.
	Set Up H	The police officer moves away to screen left. Marion’s eye’s move up to follow him towards the front of the car.
	Set Up H	As the police officer exits screen left, Marion stares straight ahead after him.
	Set Up H	To accentuate the eye line, Marion’s hand moves to the steering wheel, deliberately pointing the viewer to the front of the car. This prepares us for the novel camera angle, crossing the 180° line.
	Set Up I	Cut to low angle, point of view, mid shot. The officer enters screen right maintaining spatial continuity. We now know that the police officer is in front of the car and we are looking from Marion’s point of view.
	Set Up I	The officer checks Marion’s details and his eyes drop towards the front bumper of the car. His eye line prepares the viewer for the next shot. Focal point at screen centre.
	Set Up J	Cut away to point of view, very close up, high angle shot. Focal point screen centre The officer’s eye line has led us to his point of view as he checks the license plate.
	Set Up K	Eye level, medium close up reaction shot (not from the officer’s point of view). Focal point still at screen centre. Marion cranes her neck in an effort to see what the officer is doing. She’s looking for a reaction.
	Set Up I	Low, reverse angle, mid shot. This is a reaction shot (although there is no reaction). Marion’s obvious concern or curiosity is shared by the viewer. The officer is standing slightly to screen right in preparation for moving in that direction and leading us back to Set Up H (car interior).

https://youtu.be/V9o433ZMOYo