A Classic in Every Sense of the Word

Rating: 10/10 (29 December 1999)

To cinema lovers everywhere, Alfred Hitchcock was a god. And while he may not have created the heavens and the earth, he did create something possibly more amazing: Psycho. Hitchcock once said that he did not care about the acting so much as the technical elements of the film, but he pulled uniformly outstanding performances from Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, Martin Balsam, and Vera Miles. But, as many other reviewers have noted, it was not the actors that made Psycho one of the pinnacles of cinema; it was Hitch himself. His skillful use of lighting, effects, editing, and camera work have never been evidenced better than here. Hitchcock's magic was that he could take such a horrific story and make it so beautiful that you the viewer are entranced by it, not able to wrest yourself away for any reason. Psycho is the only movie I've ever seen that grows scarier each time I watch. The titles are a work of art in and of themselves, the photography is absolutely amazing, and Anthony Perkins's subtle, nuanced portrayal of Norman will almost have you rooting for him. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is truly a classic in every sense of the word, and in every sense of the film to which it can be applied.