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Psycho 1960 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
R, 109 min. (violence) |
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Starring: Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin, Martin Balsam, Janet Leigh
Producer: Alfred Hitchcock
Screenplay: Joseph Stefano
Cinematography: John L. Russell
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Released: 1960 |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
"We all go a little mad sometimes."
This famous line by Norman Bates best sums up Psycho, one of the most well-known, talked about films in movie history. It's shocking arrival in theaters in 1960
sounded the change of direction in the film industry - one of conservatism to a more liberal tone. It pushed film boundaries
to the limit, from near-nudity to graphic violence, and its first version was reportedly turned down by censors at the time for re-editing.
But Psycho was a phenomenal success - one of the most frightening movies to ever hit theaters, and the founder of a new
genre. Director Alfred Hitchcock, one of film's greatest directors, was maybe the only director at the time that could have
pulled it off - the right script, cast, and directing. Based on a best-selling book, Psycho's screenwriter, Joseph Stefano, re-wrote several
parts of the book for the movie, and it paid off.
The film opens with Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) and her lover Sam Loomis (John Gavin) embracing in bed (another taboo).
Marion is frustrated because she can't be with outside of hotel rooms because he's married. She has an opportunity to s#006670
$40,000 from her boss, and she takes it and runs. She is on the run - she changes cars, and checks into a desolate motel called
the Bates Motel. There she meets the amiable Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), who starts up a conversation with her and
discusses his lonely life and his overbearing mother. Marion realizes during their chat that she now feels trapped like Norman
does, and decides to return the money and go home. Then the movie takes a shocking turn, as Norman's mother is determined
to keep Norman away from all outsiders. After the infamous shower scene, Sam and Marion's sister, Lila (Vera Miles), go in
search of her. A private investigator, Arbogast (Martin Balsam), discovers that Marion has been at the Bates Motel and also
interrogates Norman, but he too is quickly discarded. This all leads to the shocking conclusion, which is truly surprising if
you haven't deduced the film's secret yet.
Anthony Perkins gives the performance of his career as Norman - a shy, yet convincingly affable man with a mysterious
mother. You can sympathize with his plight - a mother who won't let him live his own life, but at the same time needing some
direction because of a troubled childhood. The movie also accomplishes something seemingly impossible - shifting the main
characters of the film halfway through the movie. We start with the story of Marion, only to be kidnapped by the story of
Norman Bates - it's an ingenious twist by Hitchcock. This makes the character of Norman even more terrifying when we
realize the truth about his past.
Janet Leigh and Vera Miles are also effective, as is Martin Balsam who plays the private investigator. They are integral to
the overall story and add depth to their characters. But, in the end, the story is about Norman.
Psycho's famous shower scene was carefully shot and edited to avoid any full nudity or graphic violence. In fact,
the entire film's brilliance comes from its editing - without it, the audience wouldn't be able to visually "fill in the blanks"
to the more gruesome parts of the film. The music is also famous, and adds even more terror to the already horrifying
acts of Norman's mother. It effectively builds tension from the first part of the movie to the last scene, where we see
Norman in his true form.
Many would argue that Psycho is Hitchcock's best film - it's not quite at the level of Rear Window or Vertigo, but
it's close. It doesn't have the characterizations of those two, and it doesn't have the complexity of situations that arise in those
films. However, Psycho's strength may lie in its simple story, albeit with a surprise or two, and is arguably the most
memorable of Hitchcock's films. No matter the debate over its greatness, Psycho is a groundbreaking suspense film with
memorable scenes and fine performances - one that's not to be missed by any movie enthusiast.
© 2001 Jonathan Cornwell
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 |
 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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