Psychology technique · used in 4 films
Repeating a specific image, color or pattern that sets off a character's buried trauma. You feel their panic before you learn what it comes from.
Examples
Alfred Hitchcock · 1945
Parallel dark lines against a white background make the hero panic. The film keeps showing them, so you feel the reaction before you know the cause. It turns out to come from a childhood accident, and the lines also stand for ski tracks in snow.
Where to see it: The first kiss. While kissing him, Constance notices he has a strange phobia of parallel lines against a white background. The lines come up again on several occasions.
Alfred Hitchcock · 1964
Marnie panics during thunderstorms and when she sees red. The film shows the triggers before it explains them, so you feel her fear without knowing the reason. The cause is a childhood memory.
Where to see it: The office storm. While working weekend overtime with Mark, Marnie has a panic attack during a thunderstorm and he comforts her.
Tony Kaye · 2011
When Meredith hugs Henry at school, a colleague misreads it, and he is overwhelmed by memories. The film shows him reacting before it explains why.
Where to see it: The hug: Meredith hugs Henry, Sarah misreads the moment as inappropriate, and Henry panics.
Clint Eastwood · 2016
Sully's mind keeps going back to the crash after he has saved everyone. He pictures what could have happened, a plane hitting the city. The film puts that fear on screen so you feel the weight on him.
Where to see it: Aftermath: Sully is heralded as a hero but experiences aftereffects and cannot escape the attention of the press. He keeps replaying the crash in his mind.
Questions