Legendary, in both a good and a bad way

Rating: 10/10 (27 November 2000)

Not much to be said about this that hasn't been said before. Only the second Hitchcock film I've ever seen, and so far there isn't a single positive thing that's been said about him that I can disagree with. Calling someone 'The Master' is terminology that I would usually frown upon as being too dismissive of other greatly talented people, but after witnessing the directing, the cinematography, the subtle performances, the inimitable atmosphere and the quiet genius of this masterpiece, I find myself forced to agree. The notorious shower scene manages to be shocking, brutal and understated all at once, and its infamy on the pages of motion picture history is well-deserved. Anthony Perkins is subtly explosive, like a match waiting to be struck. He plays Bates with a boyish, grinning charm that generally belies his chilling insanity. Also worthy of mention is Bernard Herrmann's incredible score, possibly one of the best I've ever heard.
In a curious way, the one thing I find disagreeable about this movie is, indeed, its legend. I cannot imagine how much I would have enjoyed it had I not known any of the plot twists beforehand, and could have gone into it unknowingly. Still, perhaps somewhat paradoxically, the legend is completely due, because this film's merit becomes obvious when you consider that first-time viewers of my generation (I'm 21 years old), who have become inundated with the blood, gore and overblown special effects of today's blockbusters, can still find its subtle ingenuity chilling and scary in equal measure. Beautiful. 10/10