A Horrifying Work of Art

Rating: 9/10 (6 September 2010)

By today's standards, the murder scenes are laughable, but I know that back in 1960, this movie was terrifying.
Alfred Hitchcock is definitely a master. The way that he used music and editing made some scenes really frightening to me. I feel like the music was the most effective way that Hitchcock got into my head and stressed me out. Even in some scenes where nothing was happen, that music came on and I was scared. I was grabbing onto my friend and biting my fingers. The night after I watched this, I had to lock my door, check my bathroom for a hidden creep, and think of happy things until I fell asleep. It left a lasting impression on me, definitely. The conclusion is insane! It is a freaky film.
The actors were great, minus the murder scenes. They were calm when they had to be, scared when they had to be, and creepy as hell when they had to be. I will never see the remake of this film, because I really doubt that anybody could ever fulfill these roles better than Perkins and Leigh did.
Hitchcock really knows which angles to use, what editing techniques work, all the things that make this a good movie. The content is scary, the form is excellent. I completely understand why this film is iconic, why it has been brought up so often in society. This is the movie that made motels kind of creepy places, I bet.
I would buy this movie, sure. It's recommended. It's great studying material for a budding filmmaker, so it should be in my collection sometime soon. : )