Psycho

Rating: 9/10 (7 November 2016)

Alfred Hitchcock directed probably his best-known work in 1960 with his feature based on the book of the same name by Robert Bloch. Starring Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, and Hitchcock's abandoned would-be star Vera Miles; Psycho explores a desperate woman's attempt to forge a life with her boyfriend, and a man driven by his relationship to his mother. Psycho is a wonderful case study into the psyche of human beings with vastly different outlooks and intentions for their lives. Hitchcock delved into the psychology of humanity in a way to make audiences pay attention all the while creating a complete masterpiece and the film most closely associated with the famed suspense director.
On a December day in Arizona, the audience meets Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) who has just spent an extended lunch hour with her boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin). Sam is divorced and lives far from Marion so the only time they have together is stolen lunch hours and hotel rooms. Sam is reluctant to further his relationship with Marion, despite the intense love shared between the two, because he pays a monthly alimony to his divorcÃ©e wife. Marion has a deep conversation with Sam in regards to the future of their relationship, as she wishes to become a married woman and create a home for Sam. Leaving the hotel room feeling helpless, a little desperate, and enslaved by her love of Sam so much so that she knows herself to be unable to leave him. Upon returning to her office, Marion's boss brings in a client flashing around $40,000 in cash for a transaction. Marion, being the one trusted to take the large sum of cash to the bank, instantly devises a plot in which she and Sam can enjoy a life together, married, together, and happy, if she can get away with the $40,000. Instead of going to the bank, Marion scurries home to pack a bag and embark on a new life. After speeding away on her new mission, Marion's boss passes her on the street initiating a guilt trip that Marion can't escape. After taking a nap on the side of the road, Marion has an interaction with a police officer which puts her even more on edge. Marion, convinced she must trade in her car for a new one after seeing her boss on the street, hastily makes a deal with the dealership o\owner and speeds away hoping to avoid suspicion. After an especially rainy night, Marion has become unsure of her location and pulls into a secluded motel. Emerging from her car for shelter for the night, Marion meets motel owner Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins), a seemingly nice young man who helps Marion inside with her bags and offers to make her dinner so she doesn't have to go back out into the rain. After hearing a heated exchange between Norman and his mother, Marion offers advice and consolation for Norman, believing his mother to be an overbearing negative presence on his life. Norman is clearly taken aback by what he perceives to be an attack against his mother, Marion is taken aback by his strong reaction and seeks refuge to her room as she has already begun questioning her plan and seems to have decided to go back to Tuscon, return the money, and make amends with her boss. Little does Marion know, Norman and his relationship to his mother would interfere with her plans.
Psycho has reached the point that there is little left to say about this film. It's a near perfect entry on Hitchcock's filmography. Psycho is so closely associated with the famed director that it has been endlessly analyzed and heralded for the masterwork that it is. The standout from the film, other than the brilliant direction of a largely dialogue-driven plot, is the fantastic score. Bernard Herrmann, a frequent collaborator with Hitchcock, crafts a perfect horror/suspense score that is as iconically connected to the film as the John Williams score is to Jaws. Granted, I haven't seen much of Anthony Perkins' work, but he was perfectly cast in the role of Norman Bates. Norman had to embody a psychotic crazed maniac inside a quiet, unassuming petulant child all at once, and Perkins was perfect for the extreme marriage of characterization. Martin Balsam is a brilliant character actor and it's always fun to see him pop up in a film. As earlier stated, Psycho is a surprisingly dialogue- driven film, with only a few shots of action sparsed throughout the film. The pivotal scene in which Marion and Norman share dinner together, bringing Marion back to her good- natured self, was filmed in such a perfect way highlighting the taxidermied shells on the wall exposing the possibility that Norman could be a much more sinister character than he initially appears. Hitchcock proves his strength as a suspense director with his seminal classic, Psycho. Near-perfect direction, incredible casting, and a brilliant score, it is clear to see why Psycho has stood the test of time, and remains a favorite and yearly Halloween viewing tradition, for myself anyway.