Best Psychological Thriller from the Master of Suspense! Pathbreaking for its Time...

Rating: 8/10 (16 July 2013)

With an age of 60 years, and a book containing such violence and sexuality, when Hitchcock tried to make 'Psycho' in 1959, the people, the industry and the critics didn't expect anything to come out of it. Who could have guessed it would become one of his best and most ambitious works.
Personally, it's my favourite Hitchcock movie; it's a powerful and complex psychological thriller. The movie was path-breaking in so many ways, and completely transformed the thriller and mystery genres. Its foray into psychoanalysis, the killing of the leading lady halfway through the film, the voyeuristic camera angles/glimpses into the lives of the characters, and the sexuality on film; all these completely changed the face of cinema. And not to forget John L. Russell's cinematography and Bernard Herrmann's legendary background score which give the movie its tone and impact.
Janet Leigh is mesmerizing in her short, but brilliant, portrayal of Marion Crane. Anthony Perkins gives a heartwarming and powerful performance as the innkeeper Norman Bates.
How can I finish my review without mentioning the famous Shower sequence? Legend has it that the scene was filmed over 7 days, and features 77 different camera angles. The nudity and violence are merely suggested, and not actually shown, and there lies the actual beauty of the scene. And the shots shown are through the views of the killer and the victim, and not that of a third person. Other than this scene, there are many other memorable and brilliantly directed scenes in the movie, including the climatic twist and the exceptional ending. There are many such details which add to the magnificence of the film.
The movie still remains as one of the best suspense thrillers of all time. Hitchcock truly was... the Master of Suspense!