Intertextuality

Intertextuality is the shaping of texts' meanings by other texts. It can include an author’s borrowing and transformation of a prior text or to a reader’s referencing of one text in reading another.

Films making visual references to other films is called intertextuality. For example, the famous 'shower scene' from 'Psycho' has influenced many other films such as:

The Stepfather (2009)

Similar to Psycho: dropping off curtains, the knife, mid shot of him dying and slightly sliding against the wall, white bath, white curtains, white wall.

What Lies Beneath (2001)

Similar to Psycho: white bath, white curtains, white walls, the shower head,  shower is on - the sound of shower, high angle shot.

Fatal Attraction (1987)

Similar to Psycho: white bath, white curtains, white walls, curtains falling, the knife, stabbing in the bathroom, bathrobe on, close up of her hand dropping, sliding against the wall.

The use of intertextuality makes us understand films by other films we have seen, as for example, the sound of water falling became something scary after its first use in a scary scene in Psycho, and the use of it in many other films, even The Roommate (2011). Shower scenes also became suspenseful.