Research: Intertextuality

Intertextuality

What is Intertextuality?

 Intertextuality is a term used to describe the process of different films literally 'borrowing' from each other. This could mean films using similar camera angles, aspects of mise en scene, snippets of sound or methods of editing. This is partly why it has been argued that our understanding of films is often due to other films previously seen.

Examples of Intertextuality;

The film 'Psycho' which is a 1960 suspense/horror film, is an example of where intertextuality has taken place.There is a famous scene in this film known as the 'shower scene' in which many films have 'borrowed' from. I have compared the visual references between 'Psycho'' and 'The stepfather', which was a 2009 thriller.

'The stepfather' has used the same method of editing, where the camera shows a particular object when the sound changes. 'The stepfather' has also used similar mise en scene, the shower curtain is the same pale colour and is ripped off the rail by the character who dies, which is exactly what happens in 'Psycho'. 

Tthe film 'What lies beneath' which was 2001 thriller, is another example. There is a scene where a woman is killed and placed in a bath. The shower water is left running whilst the body lays in the bath. The camera zooms in to the running water, as it does in 'Psycho'. There is also a high angle shot from above the shower,showing the woman.