Editor’s Note: This review was written in September 2015 after a Fathom Events screening of Psycho on the big screen.
Before 1960, Alfred Hitchcock had already established himself as one of the finest directors of all time with such works as Shadow of a Doubt, Rear Window, North By North West, and Veritgo. Despite those acclaimed film, most casual movie goers analogize Hitchcock to one film, Pyscho. Psycho, while not only groundbreaking for its time, is one of the most distinctly unnerving films ever made. Alfred Hitchcock’s brilliant direction and writing by Joseph Stefano make its audience garner a feeling of comfort while watching the film and accepting that the film is about Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) and her relationship with a man named Sam Loomis (John Gavin). However, once she steals 40 thousand dollars from her job and intends to run away and bring him that money, the tide turns and we really find out who this film is about, the brilliance of Hitchcock is in full effect.
While on the way, she gets lost and ends up at the Bates Motel, where she meets Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). While speaking to him, she realizes that she has fallen into a trap because of the money she had stolen and decides to return the money. Little did she know, as she takes a shower, she would be murdered in one of the most famous and iconic scenes ever shot on film. At that very moment, Hitchcock let his audience know that the film was never about Marion. It was about Norman and his relationship with his mother. The film never lets down until its end where the audience is able to understand the depth of Norman and his mother’s relationship.
Throughout the film, Hitchcock does little things to set the mood of the scene, as well as his characters. At the beginning of the film, Marion is wearing white undergarments while seeing Sam. As she takes the money, you see her now in black undergarments, symbolizing her turn into the “dark side” in her actions. Along with that scene, Hitchcock, has a shot of Norman talking to Marion outside the hotel, with his reflection on the window, which is symbolic of what is to come.
Psycho is also the first film to ever show a toilet being flushed. Even with something so minuscule as a toilet being flushed, Hitch was always two steps ahead. Aided by one of the finest film scores of all time by Bernard Herrmann, Psycho is one of the finest films every made and goes down as nothing short of a masterpiece.
Reel Talk gives Psycho 4 Reels
