"A Standard Rave"

Rating: 9/10 (6 November 2006)

Strange what the passage of time can do to a film. I remember seeing portions of "Psycho" when I was very young on local TV; when our household became cable-ready a few years later and AMC showed actual movie classics, Hitchcock's film was regular on the rotation. I remember being shocked and impressed by Janet Leigh's shower demise and Martin Balsam's staircase tumble, but not too wild about the actual narrative. When you're less than 10 years old, you take for granted a lot of the nuances of film-making that only make sense when you're older.
And "Psycho" is almost entirely nuance and technique. From Anthony Perkins' legendary performance as the quiver-lipped, boyish Norman Bates to Bernard Herrmann's piercingly authorative, all-strings score to Hitchcock's intersection of characters (where misunderstandings and misplaced responsibility are the norm), the film is a masterful blend of all the elements that make for quality cinema. And for all its pop-culture influence (as it was one of the first 'psychological horrors' put on screen), "Psycho" remains extremely subtle and surprising, even if you know all the plot turns in advance.
See Marion. See Marion embezzle $44 grand from her boss. See Marion on the run from her own guilt. See Marion make a fateful stop at the Bates Motel. See Norman. See Norman talk about his abusive, domineering mother... (I needn't go any further.)
Since there is really no creative way to write about a film that has already been so extensively written on, I offer some of my personal favorite moments: The head-on shots of Marion (Janet Leigh) driving away from responsibility, listening to dialogues taking place far away, her facial expressions our only indicator of emotion. The judgmental look of the used-car salesman. The way Norman leans his head forward in the parlor, becoming somber and defensive over the word 'someplace.' The shriek of strings as the shower curtain is pulled back. Norman's awkward reaction to Private Investigator Arbogast (Martin Balsam)'s casual questioning. Arbogast's oblivious, seemingly slow-motion ascent of the staircase. Mrs. Bates' closing monologue, delivered in an acrid voice whose tone will literally make your skin crawl.
And there's a lot more. As much as it's been said already, I will have to concur that "Psycho" is probably Hitchcock's masterpiece (I haven't seen all of his films), a near-seamless blend of story, character, irony, and technique.