Classic Hitchcock Horror

Rating: 8/10 (12 May 2013)

A brilliant film and a classic that has most definitely stood the test of time. It was enjoyable watching a black and white movie and then suddenly realizing you didn't notice anyway. Even the actor's clothes didn't seem particularly dated - apart from those bras of Lila Crane (Vera Mills) - but hell, Madonna was wearing those things only a few years ago. What I love about Psycho (and a lot of the older thrillers/slashers) is that it manages to invoke fear and intrepidation without gallons of blood spurting around the room, bones being sawed with grizzly sound effects, close ups of heads exploding etc. Having said this, Psycho did set a new bar for 'violence' and 'sexuality' in movies (apparently Hitchcock had quite a time persuading the studio to let him make the movie). The music is such an integral part of this movie and hits just the right tones denoting 'something really scary is about to happen' or 'it's OK,no one's about to be hacked to death but don't let your guard down'. I did 'jump' on a couple of occasions and that's kudos to Hitchcock's brilliant mastery of suspense. Vera Mills was extremely good but I found her 'guilty' acting a little overblown. What can I say about Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates? Nothing really, he was fantastic. He portrayed the many sides of his troubled character perfectly and was extremely convincing as an 'innocent, sensitive, naïve Mummy's boy'. Other elements that make Psycho so revolutionary and 'deep' include the exploration of family 'bonds', the results of introducing a new family dynamic, and the idea of 'split personality disorder'. If you haven't watched Psycho in a couple of years, I urge you to rent it again and re-visit what I can only describe as one of Hitchcock's masterpieces.