One of the top 5 films of all time!

Rating: 10/10 (31 May 2008)

The irony of the film PSYCHO for me is that while I wasn't born when it came out in 1960 and didn't get to see it until some 20 years after its release, I actually DIDN'T know anything that happened in it when I first saw it! So the shock, awe, and surprise for me was the firsthand reactions of someone who had never seen or known anything about the film. Of course, that was back in an age where there was no internet, very few channels to watch on TV, and spoilers weren't put out forever and a day. I was lucky. I hope anyone who hasn't seen film and enjoys films is as lucky as I was.
You know the story: THE GREATEST MACGUFFIN EVER TOLD! The great Alfred Hitchcock totally fools us into thinking that this masterwork is about retrieving a stolen $40,000 when in fact it is about SOOOOO much more than that! Marion Crane (played by the great Janet Leigh in a complex, sexy, heartbreaking performance) steals the money from her boss, an insurance agent, then 'steals' off (pun intended) 'into the night' (actually it was daytime) with the money. Along the way she has thoughts of various conflicting thoughts and emotions of the results of her actions and ends up at the Bates Motel.
Ahh, the Bates Motel! The most famous location in all of film history! Marion meets the proprietor and manager Norman Bates (played by none other than Anthony Perkins in one of the most stunning, sterling, fascinating, perfect performances in film history). Norman is the mama's boy to end all mamas boys! The parlor conversation between Norman and Marion has got to be, to this day, one of the most fascinating talks between two lost souls ever put to screen. The angular way that Hitchcock shot it adds to its brilliance. The albeit too brief 'relationship' between Norman and Marion is never talked about enough for me: it's obvious that her sexuality intimidates him and is rather off-putting. And you can tell that she finds his sweetness and vulnerability a refreshing change from the big city jerks that she is used to. Two great performances, both of which should have won Oscars. Leigh was nominated for Best Supporting Actress and the fact that Perkins wasn't nominated for Best Actor may be the all time biggest oversight in Oscar history.
PSYCHO is fascinating on so many levels and gets a lot about human nature right: the aforementioned sexuality that lies within all of us, the different levels of guilt that all humans possess (virtually every character in this film is guilty of SOMETHING), the ways that men objectify women, and fact that all of us at heart are shaped by our parents, whether we'd want to admit it or not.
This is Alfred Hitchcock's greatest film accomplishment for me, and that says a lot because he is my favorite director of all time. He got nominated for Best Director (the Academy got that part right), but didn't win (Academy got this one wrong). And PSYCHO is in the top 5 films of all time for me also. It is a landmark that ironically inspired thousands (maybe millions) knock-offs about psychotic mama-boy serial killers. But this is the film with the real heart and soul. No remakes, retreads, or sequels necessary.