Iconic film

Rating: 10/10 (27 May 2010)

"Psycho" is unquestionably one of the finest films of all time, and probably the greatest thriller (although there are several other contenders, all directed by Hitchcock). The acting is first-rate; the cinematography is superb; and the musical score (by Bernard Herrmann) is iconic. (Incredibly, the score did not receive an Oscar nomination.) Hitchcock has been deservedly praised for his direction, but I feel it is time to give credit where credit is due. I recently read the book on which the movie was based, also titled "Psycho". It was written by Robert Bloch in 1959, a year before the movie was made. Except for two scenes that weren't in the book, and a couple of memorable lines (most notably, "Well, a boy's best friend is his mother"), the movie follows the book so closely that almost all of the credit should go to the author of the book, not the director of the movie. If you have seen and enjoyed the movie, pick up a copy of the book. Only then can you appreciate who the real genius was behind "Psycho".
There are quite a few, mostly minor, differences between the book and movie. As I read the book, I wondered why the changes had been made. Here are some examples. In the movie, Ms. Crane's name is Marion; in the book, it is Mary. In the movie, she lives and works in Phoenix, Arizona; in the book, she is from Ft. Worth, Texas. In the movie, Norman Bates is thin and young; in the book, he is fat and middle-aged. In the book, he wears glasses; in the movie, he doesn't. In the movie, there are twelve cabins at the motel; in the book, there are six. I found no fewer than thirty-five differences, but almost none of them made any sense to me.