Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho'

Rating: 10/10 (10 August 2007)

'Psycho' is Alfred Hitchcock's strangest, most disturbing, and best film he has ever made. The movie starts off in Phoenix, Arizona where lovers Sam Loomis and Marion Crane are sharing a secret, passionate afternoon in a cheap hotel. Marion is worried that their relationship won't work because they live so far apart and have to keep their love a secret. In the next scene, Marion is at work, her boss asks her to deliver 40, 000 dollars into the bank. In desperation, she steals the money and pursues California to find her lover and run away with him with their new fortune. On the way, however, Marion goes through several obstacles. A policemen finds her suspicious, as does a car salesman. Marion is a clumsy thief. Finding it hard to see the road through a rainstorm, Marion pulls off into an old inn, The Bates Motel. There she meets Norman Bates, a flirtatious, sad, likable guy who's aggressive mother worries Marion. Here are two people, Marion and Norman, who are both trapped. However, Marion has a chance to redeem herself, and she hopes Norman does too. The choice to film in black and white was an inspiration. Instead of grossing out the audience, Hitchcock disturbs the audience with violent and tragic scenes. Joseph Stefano hands over a brilliant script, making this story extremely interesting from a source material that was rather quite dull. We never know exactly where the storie's going and the melding powers of Hitchcock and Stefano are to thank. The music by Bernard Hermann is pure genius. From the second the film opens, our attention is on the screen. The score is all strings, and it brings out the beauty of the black and white picture. Janet Leigh gives a terrific performance as Marion Crane, as do Gavin Lee, Martan Balsam and Vera Miles as the supporting characters. But the best performances come from a voice over work by Virginia Gregg as 'Mother' and Anthony Perkins' defining role as Norman Bates, not only the best performance in his career, but the best performance given by any actor ever. He captures all the subtleties and tragic struggle of the character so well, that he is one of the most memorable characters of all time. Psycho has a terrific surprise ending and a everything ties up nicely in a psychiatric scene most critics seem to hate, but I find resonate. The film has two reaccuring themes: Dependence and hatred of our own mothers. And describing a word by using the same word: "Eating in an office is too officious." "You make respectability sound disrespectful." "I will not speak of such disgusting things because they disgust me." All in all, Psycho is a near perfect film, and a film that hopefully will live forever.