← Back to Reviews
 
Psycho
Psycho (1960)

Being a massive fan of Alfred Hitchcock and his work in such films as "Vertigo" and "North by Northwest" it was only a matter of time before I finally got around to watching Psycho.

Unlike those two titles mentioned, "Psycho" was deliberately filmed in black and white to give a cheaper, less visually rich but more frightening feel to the whole thing. I've heard people say that "Psycho" may not be as 'scary' at present day and is more of a psychological thriller (the same argument applied to the likes of "The Shining" and "Silence of the Lambs" but I have to disagree, the master of suspense creates a gripping film and one that definitely has a great deal of shocks and scares. One particular scene I had my volume up to full watching it on my computer as not much had happened previously and sudden attack and screeching violins of the excellent Bernard Herrmann certainly gave me a shock.

The first third of the film creates an uneasy atmosphere as Marion Crane, portrayed by Marion Crane is followed by a policeman following her attempt to exit the town after she had stole $40,000 dollars from her boss. The film’s synopsis and first third points in one direction, Marion is attempting to flee town as she gets tailed by a suspicious police officer, she then stops at the Bates Motel where she meets a charming young man Norman Bates who has been too long under the domination of his mother.

We sympathise in a way with both of their situations. Marion’s act of stealing her boss’s money seems odd considering how long she has worked there but it is understandable. Bates’ situation is one we can perhaps sympathise more with. He has chosen to stay with his mother because she is ill, Detective Arbogast suggests in the middle of the film that he would understand Bates situation of being stuck in the failing Motel and why he would want to take the $40,000 to get away.

One of the best things about "Psycho" is the performance of Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, his character really his scary and creepy and it horrifies me to think of someone like Vince Vaughan playing this character. The final scene is one of the best, most memorable and one of the creepiest in the whole film, in fact film history.

Slight Spoilers in paragraph - Due to the film's synopsis and stars involved it was great for the film to take so many unexpected twists along the way that I was certainly not expecting. I had heard about the famous shower scene before watching the film but for it to come so early on was more than surprising.

Like when I had seen "Vertigo" and "North by Northwest", with "Psycho" I knew I had just seen a masterpiece. “Vertigo” is a visually brilliant and more enjoyable emotional based story was as “North by Northwest” is a fun action filled film that is very enjoyable. “Psycho” I think trumps both of them for me, Hitchcock does a brilliant job of using his directional talent to create a suspenseful and scary film like none other, it’s 52 years since it was made and it certainly had an impact on me, a fantastic horror that relies on great suspense instead of cheap and gory scenes we see in many modern horrors.

RATING: