A boy's best friend is his mother.

Rating: 9/10 (12 April 2013)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Starring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles and John Gavin.
Written by Joseph Stefano and Robert Bloch
'A thirty-something secretary steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor too long under the domination of his mother.'
Upon the arrival of the new hit series 'Bates Motel' it has gotten me in a 'Psycho' mood. This was my first Alfred Hitchcock film and I must admit when I watched it, I broke the legendary Director's first and only rule : "The picture you MUST see from the beginning... Or not at all!"
'Psycho' is one of those films I put with the elite like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Amadeus and The Godfather Series. These films changed my perspective on film in some form or another and when I speak about Psycho, I'm referring to storytelling and camera usage. Alfred Hitchcock did an amazing job creating this film. Everything works! The story, the acting, the cinematography and the music! Hitchcock's efforts with the camera reminded me of 'Taxi Driver.' Often, the camera stole so much away from the actors' efforts when creating emotion on screen. There were positions and movements I've never seen before. The classic 'Shower Scene' reminded me a lot of Scorsese due to the fact of the quick cuts throughout and I'm not surprised Scorsese would take a few notes from Hitch.
The acting in this picture is something people never really emphasize and it is deservingly so. Not taking anything away from the actors/actresses but it was how 'Psycho' was shot that people will remember forever. But the cast was great! I will point out that I really enjoyed Anthony Perkins' fantastic performance as the legendary Norman Bates. When you see Perkins on screen, it's as if he has an extra layer around him that you want to rip off to reveal something you shouldn't know. You can see he's hiding something of some sort and you want to just shake it out of him. He keeps you on your toes throughout the film and you won't be able to blink without missing a detail.
Out of all the aspects I pointed out about 'Psycho', the music comes out as the triumphant winner. It's suspense at its finest! As Janet Leigh's character tries to escape with the $40,000, the music itself tells you everything you need to know about the emotions running through her body. The quick beats and violins' running imitating a heartbeat gives you goose bumps. But nothing is more terrifying than the screeching violins playing throughout the 'mother' scenes. A nice test everybody can attempt is to play the scenes without the music, you will see the impact the sounds has on the film. As every screech is heard, you flinch back and back with discomfort and want it to stop. Truth be told, Hitchcock originally wanted those scenes silent and we can all agree he would've made a huge mistake! It's absolute magic!
Psycho is a film that everybody should experience not only for entertainment purposes but as a history lesson in terrific filmmaking. It's difficult attempting to review this film without giving away anything but if you haven't seen 'Psycho', don't make the same mistake I did. Watch it from the beginning and don't stop