Intertextuality

Intertextuality is when films borrow other scenes or features from another film which may be spotted through camera angles, mise en scene, sound and editing. After watching The Stepfather, I have noticed that the movie has borrowed visual features from other films and movies such as Psycho, What Lies Beneath and Fatal Attraction.

In The Stepfather during the violent shower scene, I have noticed that the film was inspired by Psycho's shower scene. When the action enters the bathroom, we see that the bath tub, walls, and curtains are white. After the main character in The Stepfather is stabbed in the neck, he falls into the bath tub causing the shower railings to break off the pole and a high angle shot is viewed. The mise en scene of the white bath tub, walls and curtains are seen in Psycho; and also the features of the shower railings and camera angle is recognized in Psycho. During both scenes, we both hear the sound of water. In The Stepfather, we hear the sound of water from the heavy rain drops which are falling outside; whilst in Pshyco, we hear the sound of water from the running shower.

In What Lies Beneath where the man carries the paralysed woman, it features the white bathroom, the high angle shot  of bath tub and the sound of water. But the main aspect recognized is the high angle shot of the spiral staircase, where he carries the woman up, is seen in The Stepfather.

In Fatal Attraction, it shows a man chasing a woman which is similar in The Stepfather where the main character chases his wife. The shot where the man is choking the woman from a high angle is identical to the shot in The Stepfather where the killer strangles his neighbour after falling onto the floor. The camera angle in Fatal Attraction in the part where we see glass falling onto the ground and smashing into pieces is similar to the angle in The Stepfather. Also they both include knife blocks and knives in their kitchens.