Psycho (1960)

Psycho (1960)

8/10

Starring
Anthony Perkins
Vera Miles
John Gavin
Martin Balsam
John McIntire
Janet Leigh

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

They don't come any crazier than Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). This Psycho thriller was a classic horror movie in the 60s, with a score (soundtrack) that is breathtaking, and you will love how the movie itself manages to pass the scare across without too much effects.

It also had four Academy Award nominations. Psycho is considered one of Hitchcock's best films, and it is ranked among the greatest films of all time.

The movie is based on a novel of the same name by Robert Bloch, which in turn was based loosely on the case of convicted Wisconsin murderer Ed Gein.

The story is about a secretary who embezzled $40,000 from her company to go share with her boyfriend. On her way to their meeting place, she stops over at a motel owned by Norman Bates, who has long been under the control of his mother and is struggling to balance his own life without her influence. As she spends the night at the Bates Motel, we slowly see Norman’s strange behaviour change from polite to unsettling. Then the next day, she is murdered in the now-iconic shower scene, and now the movie’s focus shifts to Norman trying to cover up this crime.

Now, the first half of the movie is gripping and tense, as you sit through trying to get the feel of what is happening, but the moment we get to the death, the movie’s pacing slows as the investigation into the missing secretary begins. You can feel that some scenes are stretched out, especially the police investigation bits.

Acting wise Perkins did well, and the whole cast were excellent in their portrayals, which gave the movie the edge that it had.

The famous shower scene, which was the murder of Janet Leigh's character in the shower, is the film's pivotal scene and one of the best-known scenes in all of cinema history. It spawned numerous myths and legends. It was shot from December 17 to December 23, 1959, and features 77 different camera angles. The scene runs 3 minutes and includes 50 cuts.

Paramount felt the book was "too repulsive" and "impossible for films" and they did not like "anything about it at all" and denied Hitchcock his usual budget. So, Hitchcock financed the film's creation through his own Shamley Productions. The movie was then shot in black and white to keep the budget below $1,000,000.

I do hope you take the time to see this movie.