Intertextuality

Intertexuality is when films borrow certain aspects/visuals from another film and put it in theirs for example mise en scence, camera angles etc. A well known example of intertextuality is based upon the classical thriller "Psycho". Other film makers copy the style of the way the action is shown in the famous "Shower Scene" and make it somewhat their own. During the 'Psycho' shower scene, a close up has been specifically used to emphasise the falling of the shpwer curtain after the act has been commited.


Psycho Original Close Up Of Curtains Falling

Now lets take a look at the 2009 movie called 'The Stepfather'. This film has borrowed this same close up from the film 'Psycho' in order to create the same effect that it did in the original.



                                                  Same close up in 'The Stepfather'

                                              
In addition, when previous AS media students were creating the opening to their thriller, they also used intertextuality (borrowing once again from the classical thriller 'Psycho'). They have chosen to borrow the close up camera angle of the person being in the shower. This emphasising the main characters unawareness to what is about to happen to them.
     

Close up of person in shower in student film

Now lets look at it in the original movie 'Psycho'

Close up of the person in the shower in the original