....ultimate Hitchcockian masterpiece....

Rating: 10/10 (25 August 1999)

This ultimate Hitchcockian masterpiece is an artful, suspenseful, beautiful, and horrifying thriller! So many taboos of the era were abolished by this film - violence, brief nudity, transvestism, and (gasp!) a flushing toilet. While all of this has lost its shock value by today's standards, the overall grasp this film has on the viewer will never be outdated. Considered by many to be Alfred Hitchcock's greatest work, this is undoubtedly one of the highlights of film history.
The story begins in Phoenix, Arizona, with a woman named Marian Crane (Janet Leigh) and her lover, Sam Loomis (John Gavin), in a hotel room enjoying an afternoon tryst. They are in love, but the problem is that Sam is married and can't afford to get a divorce. No problem, actually. Marian happens to work at a bank. So, later, she steals a bundle of cash ($40,000) and heads off to Los Angeles where Sam lives. During her road trip, this blonde beauty tires and checks into the Bates Motel. There, she meets the odd, bird-like hotel proprietor, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). She converses with Norman in his scary, bird-filled parlor and soon comes to realize the strange relationship he shares with his mother. Soon, out of left-field, Marian is slashed-off in what is probably one of the most famous scenes in movie history - the wet and bloody shower scene. This was certainly a film first - the demise of the main character halfway through the picture (it was actually an experiment by Hitchcock to gauge audience reaction). Now what? Well, an investigator (Martin Balsam), Sam, and Marian's sister Lila (Vera Miles), all converge on this house of horrors to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Marian. What will happen? Who will survive? It's all too suspenseful and fun.
The acting is on a tremendous level and Hitchcock's direction, as always, is just awesome. Plus, it is impossible not to love the violin-drenched soundtrack by composer-extraordinarre, Bernard Herrmann. "Psycho" is a historical event. Not only because of the top-notch production itself, but because of the facts behind the film. For instance, did you know that the infamous shower scene that only lasts 45 seconds, took Hitchcock one week to film to his satisfaction? It's interesting to note, too, that actress Miles was chosen for the role of Lila as a consolation prize of sorts. See, Hitchcock had cast her as the lead in 1958's "Vertigo", but she became pregnant just before production. Therefore, Kim Novak got the dual role. But Hitchcock didn't forget about the lovely Miles, giving her a role in one of the most famous movies ever. Also, "Psycho" was a work of secrecy and surprise. Hitchcock bought the original novel by Bloch, from Bloch, for $9,000, anonymously. Then he bought as many copies of the book that he could find, just to keep the end a secret. Then, when "Psycho" was released in theatres, Hitchcock had strict instructions with the theatre owners not to let anyone in the film late, since Leigh's role was so short and she was billed as the "star". This is a terrific film in every aspect. No wonder "Psycho" was listed by the American Film Institute, in 1998, as one of the 100 Greatest American Films.
Hitchcock cameo: He is the man in the cowboy hat standing on the sidewalk outside Marian's office.