Psycho-1960
Director Alfred Hitchcock
Starring Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins
Top 250 Films #5
Top 40 Horror Films #1
Scott’s Review #165
Reviewed September 6, 2015
Grade: A
Psycho (1960) is the film to end all films, and not just within the horror genre. At the time of its release, it transcended the art of cinema to a new level and has influenced generations of films since, still holding up incredibly well today.
It is undoubtedly one of the greatest Alfred Hitchcock films and one of the greatest films ever made.
Hitchcock took considerable risks and dove from the thriller to the horror genre with Psycho.
The story revolves around a young woman named Marion Crane, superbly portrayed by Janet Leigh. Marion lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and sees her boyfriend (the dashing John Gavin) for frequent afternoon rendezvous at cheap motels when he is in town because they are both struggling financially.
She is presented with an opportunity, via her job, to steal $40,000 and flee the state to start a new life with her beau. She seizes the opportunity.
On the run, she stops at a run-down Bates motel where she meets owner Norman Bates, hauntingly played by Anthony Perkins.
Perkins and Leigh have fantastic chemistry together, and the audience picks up on it—is it romantic? Is there a mysteriousness to it? Something is odd about Norman. They bond over a quiet meal of sandwiches at the motel while discussing life and his ailing mother.
The famous shower scene and the shocking twist that follows are now almost taken for granted, as most people are already familiar with them. However, I can only imagine the shock viewers felt when they first saw these two delights.
To this day, both are still suspenseful.
Fortunately, when I saw this film for the first time, I didn’t know the ending, and I am glad I didn’t, because it took my breath away.
Killing off the leading actor at the start of the film, halfway through, was a novel idea and mind-blowing at the time of its release (1960).
This act left the audience’s mouths agape in disbelief, prompting them to ask, “What now?” “How can this be followed?” This act later influenced the original Scream (1996) film and surprised audiences again.
According to Hitchcock, no one could enter the film after it had started, and viewers were persuaded not to reveal the ending – oh, how I wish that occurred these days.
An aspect of the success and longevity of Psycho is the chemistry between Perkins and Leigh, who got along famously while shooting Psycho, and more importantly, the likability of Norman Bates. There is a rooting value for him, even though he is the villain.
When Marion’s car is only half-submerged in a lake containing her dead body, we root for it to sink entirely because of Norman. The concerned look on Norman’s face has a sense that affects the audio at this point in the story. Norman is troubled and wo, undead, and the audience does not have history.
Let’s not forget Janet Leigh. The audience sympathizes with her predicament. She is hopelessly in love with her man, steals money, is conflicted, and, at her core, is a friendly, decent, kind woman.
Halfway through the film, Marion’s sister, Lila, played by Vera Miles, is introduced as a detective, and the suspense and mystery intensify as they search for Marion and investigate the Bates Hotel and Norman Bates himself.
Miles then takes center stage as the lead in the film, which is intriguing.
The film then returns to horror at the terrific and terrifying conclusion, which will shock first-time viewers.
The musical score (especially the shrill strings) is incredibly effective and influenced other horror films to come (Friday the 13th immediately comes to mind).
Psycho is a film that can be enjoyed and studied over again.
Oscar Nominations: Best Director, Alfred Hitchcock, Best Supporting Actress-Janet Leigh, Best Art Direction, Black-and-White, Best Cinematography, Black-and-White
