Very Deserved of Such High Praise

Rating: 10/10 (6 September 2001)

The story of the motel owner with a split personality is part of our American culture. Everyone is familiar with the famous shower scene. Bernard Herrmann's score evokes memories and moods instantly. Psycho is a film masterpiece. It is a wonderfully chilly tale of sexual repression, of madness, of the effects that living alone can have on an individual, and finally on the rural aspects of horror in the life of rural America. It is a cheaply made film, but accomplishes so much with so little. The credit goes to a handful of people. First and foremost in this group stands the master of suspense himself, Alfred Hitchcock. It is Hitchcock's best film in terms of utilizing the minimal for the most shocking scenes ever filmed. His shower scene is forever etched into the mindset of people all over the world. When the film came out, people were afraid to take showers afterward for quite awhile. The camera lens sets the pace for the film, and my favourite scene is Janet Leigh driving in the car. Extremely well-shot scenes with a steady current of tension. Hitchcock was ably assisted by all concerned. Herrmann's score is awesome. Joseph Stefano did a wonderful job adapting the wonderful novel by horror legend Robert Bloch. The acting is first-rate. Anthony Perkins did such a good job that he never could escape the role of Norman Bates. Martin Balsam, Vera Miles, even John Gavin do credible jobs. Janet Leigh is very good, and looks quite fetching and provocative in a black brassiere. Watch for cameos by Simon Oakland(from The Night Stalker fame) and Ted Knight as a guard. An incredible film in many ways - not least of which is the incredible legacy the film has acheived in our cultural panorama.