Hitchcock's best

Rating: 10/10 (30 December 2007)

'Psycho' has long been a favorite of mine, though for a long time I was unable to explain exactly why. It wasn't a horror film, at least not in the way I generally thought of them; there's no monster and there are no supernatural aspects. It fits more into the murder mystery category. But it has the feel of a horror film and of course today is usually regarded as such; in fact, many regard it as the best horror film ever made. Alfred Hitchcock, it seems to me, knew exactly what he wanted 'Psycho' to be and didn't worry about categories. An aura of desperate fear and paranoia permeates the film from start to finish, enveloping all the main characters. Janet Leigh's Marion Crane, in particular, is the very picture of someone on the edge, constantly looking over her shoulder, always afraid of being discovered. Her character is all the more believable because Marion Crane seems like the last person one would expect to behave as she does, stealing $40,000 from the office she works at so that her lover (John Gavin) can pay off his debts and they can be together. It is a rash act for a woman who initially seems like your typical office worker, leading a humdrum existence except for the stolen moments she shares with her lover. But she acts on her dream because she is desperate, and desperation drives her. 'Psycho' is atypical in many ways. For one thing, Crane, who is clearly the focal point of the film, is killed fairly early on. The emphasis then shifts to Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), his mother, and other characters who are trying to determine Crane's whereabouts. Bates seems to acquire Crane's mantle of paranoia, at first certain no one will ever come looking for her and even if they do, will never discover that his 'mother' killed her. Seeming a quirky but harmless momma's boy in his early scenes, Bates is slowly revealed to be insane- the 'psycho' of the title. Shot in black and white on a modest budget, 'Psycho' didn't seem to be anything special upon release. Most critics were less than impressed. But audiences certainly took to it, making it one of Hitchcock's most successful films; it grossed $32,000,000 (a huge sum at the time) and subsequent re-issues and television showings added to that figure. And since then, its reputation has grown with each passing year, with reams of film criticism devoted to it and dissecting it. Regardless of the category one wishes to fit it in, horror/thriller/mystery/crime drama, it has long since passed needing such labels, now simply regarded as Hitchcock's most well-known work, possibly his best, one that regularly makes all kinds of cinema 'top ten' lists for best film ever. Bernard Herrmann is easily as crucial to the movie's success as any of the actors; his music score has become irrevocably linked to key moments in 'Psycho,' the shrieking violins almost a trademark. The infamous 'shower scene' has become a part of pop culture history, discussed and parodied countless times. And Anthony Perkins will rightfully be remembered always as Norman Bates, forever reminding us that "a boy's best friend is his mother."