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Overall Rating
  Awesome: 80.54%
Worth A Look: 10.27%
Average: 3.24%
Pretty Bad: 2.16%
Total Crap: 3.78%
4 reviews, 161 user ratings
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| Psycho (1960) |
by Dr. Isaksson
"What are you a wacko?"
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In 1959, after finishing up on "North by Northwest", Alfred Hitchcock was looking for the story which would become his next film project. Suddenly, a strange novel of the macabre entitled "Psycho" written by Philip Bloch, and which had already been a success with the novel reading public, came to the great Director's attention. Hitch knew right off that this would be his next film. And with his trademark 'razor sharp efficiency' Hitchcock assembled the groundwork for what was to become one of the most shocking, dynamic and psychologically fascinating horror films. It was a stark, new approach to film making with a plot drenched in psychological terrors and a plot twist that was unheard of in it's time. "Psycho" was the perfect jolt needed to start off cinema in the 1960's.The plot is relatively simple. At the start of Psycho we enter a Hotel Room in the city of Phoenix. A woman named Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is in the throws of a heated affair with her lover (John Gavin). She is hoping to find a way to run away with him but their finances are limiting such a hope. After this steamy lunchbreak rendezvous, Marion begrudgingly heads back to work as a secretary for a bank. It is here that Lady Luck plays a hand in her favor. A great deal of money is suddenly entrusted to her and instead of following through with her obligations at work, Marion decides to take on Lady Luck and flee town.
Then on a twist of fate that can only be considered as the epitome of Rotten Luck, Marion turns into the desolate parking lot of the Bates Motel to rest after a long day and night of driving. The area is vacant of human life except for the Motel's owner, Norman Bates. He is an uneasy young man who looks to be single and for the most part entirely alone except for his mother who he says is living as an invalid in the large antique house on the hill which overlooks the tiny motel. Norman prepares Marion's room, 'Room 1' and then offers to prepare dinner for her. She accepts and the two share a long discussion which fluctuates between her situation and his. Norman's talk of 'Mother' causes Marion to become even more uneasy than before but she decides to stick it out and stay the night at the Bates Motel. Maybe even get a shower in before catching a few hours sleep.
Here is where the film unexpectedly cuts in half.. Literally. It's a wonderful twist in the plot which arises from nowhere and sets the tone for the second half of the film. No longer are we (the viewer) allowed to follow the exploits of Marion. It is now Norman's turn to get our attention and his twisted life becomes just as engrossing as Marion's. A brave step on Alfred Hitchcock's part that could have misfired and ruined the film but he keeps the story so tight that it plays itself out in great typical Hitch style.
I'd have to say with all the surprises that Psycho has to offer, the biggest surprise is not the actual plot of the film but the performance of Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates. Interestingly, Norman was supposed to be a fat, middle aged man who was balding. Basically an unattractive man on all accounts. But Hitchcock wanted someone who was more sympathetic. So he went with Perkins who gave us a much younger, thin, frail, skittish lonely type guy who posed less of a threat to the viewer. This version of Norman Bates comes off as someone who seemed to be just as much of a victim as the people who were dying around him. It was certainly an effective approach and it works well all credit due to the wonderful performance from Anthony Perkins. His acting is an dazzling combination of stone-like defiance and brittle uncertainty. When he speaks of his mother he is full of concern but that concern is mixed with an almost dread at the mere thought of her. He loves his mother but at the same time cannot stand her. This complex relationship is the core of Psycho and Perkins pulls off the subtle nuances of his character Norman Bates just brilliantly. I think his snub of an Oscar nomination was a mistake because these roles are not easy to convey so believably. Janet Leigh is also in top form with her portrayal of Marion Crane and she rightfully gained a best actress Oscar nomination for her work. Leigh is in full command of her character and knows where every movement is coming from so this nomination wasn't a farce. Her performance never swayed from the anxious, fearful Marion and certainly plays off Norman Bates in the great scene at the Motel. As far as the rest of the actors, I'd have to say I wasn't as thrilled with their work. They are all good performances, don't get me wrong but Vera Miles was definitely rusty in some of her scenes and her costar John Gavin wasn't much better. Ms. Vera Miles had been under contract to Hitchcock and was meant to star in Vertigo opposite Jimmy Stewart, but she became pregnant and the role went to Kim Novak. When Psycho came around the choice for Miles to play Marion's sister Lila was as easy a choice for Hitchcock as it was casting Leigh and Perkins. However, at certain moments in the film I almost flinched at the corniness of the acting from Miles and her co-star Gavin. Luckily she comes into her own towards the end and I am sure these flinches only came to me because of the glaring contrast they posed compared to the nearly perfect acting of Perkins and Leigh.
As far as the directing.. what can I say? It's textbook Hitchcock and he knew exactly what he wanted before he called out the first 'Action!' Every single shot of Psycho had been story boarded beforehand and this highly technical mode of film making shows itself off very well. The proof is in the pudding. It's in the many fantastic camera angles, the perfect scene set ups which continually build up the tension and the constant looming and eerie ambiance, whether it be light or dark outside, which just oozes from every scene that makes this film a classic. I mustn't forget the amazing score by Bernard Hermann, which just happily screeches it's way throughout the film almost as sharply as that carving knife that sliced through the killer's victims. The Friday the 13th series definitely borrowed their music scores from Psycho but with a much more ridiculous and laughable result. This one is prime Grade A horror.
Facts on Psycho:
1. Alfred Hitchcock knew that he could film Psycho for under a million dollars
2. Hitch used the crew from his hit television show Alfred Hitchcock Presents to film Psycho.
3. Hitch was certain that the film had to be shot in black and white because iin color it would have been too gory.
4. Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins were Hitchcock's first and only choices for the leads.
5. Janet Leigh has written a biography entirely based on the making of Psycho
6. It took 7 days to shoot the shower scene (a third of Janet's total time spent on the film) and hundreds of camera shots.
MOST IMPORTANT FACT # 7. Don't even bother to see the 1998 remake.A classic Horror film which slightly teeters out a bit at the very end but still always retains a brilliant sense of what it wants throughout. **** 1/2 Stars
link directly to this review at http://www.efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=1132&reviewer=296
originally posted: 07/02/04 10:25:44
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USA
16-Jun-1960 (R)
UK
31-Jul-1998 (12)
Australia
02-Feb-1971 (M)
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