Masterful...

Rating: 9/10 (10 February 2013)

A truly excellent piece of filmmaking; yes, it's a bit 'wordy' in places, but that was the style back then. There are equally many scenes in which there is no dialogue at all and these are even better in my book. Hitchcock knew just how much to show the audience to intrigue them and I so wish there were more filmmakers around today who were as adept as he was. The performances were all excellent; particularly Janet Leigh as the conflicted felon and Anthony Perkins as the mentally tortured motel owner. The only thing I felt let it down was the very long explanation towards the end; where every nuance of the condition afflicting Bates is exposed. I didn't feel that much detail was needed; but I could be nit-picking a bit here. It's a great piece of filmmaking and one every fan of the movies should see at least once.
SteelMonster's verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
My score: 9.4/10.
You can find an expanded version of this review on my blog: Thoughts of a SteelMonster.