If a viewer was watching this scene only from the movie, it would seem that Marion is the protagonist due to the fact that the camera never leaves her to show what is happening to Norman. However, it would also seem that she lacks morals. Marion struggles to find a place to hide the money. The audience from this scene doesn't know that the money is stolen, but her struggle to find a place to hide the money suggests that either it was stolen or someone is after the money (both of them are true). Eventually, she wraps it all up in a newspaper and just leaves it on top of the desk near her bed. This suggests that this might be her first time trying to do anything of this nature. If she is a thief, she is a lousy one at that. Before wrapping up the money, she almost forgets about it and leaves to go unpack her clothes. Still, the fact that she remembers to come back and take care of the money first reminds us that it is of extreme importance. The second character in the scene, Norman, just seems like a supporting actor and nothing more in the beginning of the scene. However, as we go through the scene, it can be seen that he has some issues of his own. The most significant one being the one that concerns her mother. Norman's invitation for dinner shows his interest in Marion. He continuously stutters as he talks after coming back from his house. This could mean he feels ashamed of the way he is, a mama's boy. He doesn't want to upset his mother and this is seen through his change of his invitation for dinner from his house to his office. Although the mother is not seen, she seems to have a prominent presence just through her voice-over.
The acting by both Janet Leigh (Marion Crane) and Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates) is subtle. One actor does not distract the audience from the other. They both seem to have problems going on that they are hiding, therefore the audience is interested in what each character has to say. Janet Leigh delivers a performance where she says her lines perfectly without seeming suspicious of any doings. This perfection of line delivery is the character's desire to be perfect. She doesn't come off as a weak woman. She becomes a powerful character because of her firmness, posture, and the illusion that she has the skills to actually get away with the crime. "The chief skill of the Hitchcock heroine is to lie, inflict and then suffer untold torments without ruffling her hem" (Guardian). Although Marion's demise is slowly approaching, this scene does well to show her ability keep her lie going. In no way does the audience think that she is the troubled one from the two. Anthony Perkins, on the other hand, stutters as he talks and it seems like he wants to show his mannerism.
In the beginning, although the two characters are physically standing very close to one another, that is not what is shown through the camera. Every time either Marion or Norman have a dialogue, the camera is awkwardly placed to only show the character talking. The entire frame is empty, leaving the character talking placed on one side while the other character is nowhere to be seen. The metaphorical separation symbolizes the Marion's desire to have no part in this man's life. Norman is the one who is inviting and Marion, who doesn't want to seem suspicious, reluctantly accepts his invitation for dinner. These two are shown on screen at the same time very rarely. When they are in the same shot together, there is also always an object symbolizing the mother's presence and her desire to keep Norman apart from this woman. For example, when Norman returns from his house, he and Marion are in the same shot together. However, there is the food tray with a giant kettle that Norman is carrying in front of him. He even takes time to look at it when he is unsure whether or not he should have dinner with Marion in her room. The tray is in a way, the looming shadow Norman's mother has on him. The camera remains static for the most part in this shot, except when Marion moves back to welcome Norman to her room. As she moves back, so does the camera and therefore it highlights the importance of her need to remain in her room. He want to stay in her room because she wants to keep an eye on the money, nothing else. She clearly has no interest in Norman, but Norman is oblivious to this because she presents herself as someone welcoming. Almost all the shots are medium-close ups. By doing this, Hitchcock doesn't let the audience get too attached to Marion or Norman. He gives them a good amount of screen time where one does not get more attention from the camera than the other. Any camera movement is simply a dolly or a tracking shot, which just helps the audience stay with a character. Other than that, they serve no important purpose.
The editing in this extract is realistic. Hitchcock doesn't want the audience to notice the work of his editor or his own. Instead, he opts to have his characters' struggle be the main focus. There are no quick cuts or any creative shots. Hitchcock lets the dialogue play itself out. There is, however, a series of shot-reverse shots. I feel this does not serve any purpose other than to keep the audience engaged in one dialogue/character. The shot duration is the most important factor in the pacing and the audience's engagement in the characters. As I said, Hitchcock decided to go for a realistic approach; therefore, he let the actions play themselves out. In this, the importance of great acting is crucial and the performances of Perkins and Leigh were just that. By not having the camera cut form character to character too much, Hitchcock lets the viewer decide who the most important is, especially in the scenes where both of them are on screen.In this extract, lighting does not effect any scene except for one. When Norman returns from his home and is talking to Marion, his eyes are not visible under the light, especially when he looks down. This creates an image which makes the audience see Norman as someone distant. Because the audience cannot see his eyes, the audience can't cannot emotionally get attached to him just yet.
The sense of location in this extract does not seem to affect the characters of the story in a huge manner. The only scene where the location actually matters is when Marion Crane and looking outside her room at the Bates' house while the mother's voice is heard. This imagery of the giant house from a low angle shot and the loud voice of the mother reflect how small Marion feels. The house, compared to Marion's position is like an overbearing figure that looms behind you. Although that may not exactly be the case for Marion, it is the case for Norman Bates. Compared to the house, he looks tiny and the low-angle helps illustrate that. The house represents his mother that is inside his own mind. She dictates how Bates reacts and behaves in the outside world.All together, the scene does well to setup the next crucial scene that shifts the audience's attention from Marion to Norman Bates. Without this setup, the next scene would not be as powerful as it really is. In this extract, we stick with Marion who is the most relatable to the audience so far. She introduces us to the character of Norman Bates. Through her first experience, we as the audience go through the introduction with Norman Bates as well. We are introduced to the themes of isolationism (illustrated from the house and the motel's location) and innocence.
Sources:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/oct/21/alfred-hitchcock-women-psycho-the-birds-bidisha
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