Psycho

Review:

There are very few artists who are recognizable by name to even those who have not seen a single piece of their work. Alfred Hitchcock is easily one of the most famous people to ever step behind a camera, and a great deal of that fame is due to his 1960 masterpiece, Psycho. Psycho opens up with one of the most chilling scores of all time, and an extremely stylistic opening credit sequence, which immensely succeeds in sucking in the viewer for the rest of the film. Films of the 1960’s and earlier are more then often shunned upon by the majority of my peers, and this is mostly due to black and white film, and unrealistic special effects. There is no better example of these fall backs being put to good use in a film then Psycho. Hitchcock takes black and white, and makes it a necessity for the film, without it, much of the style and atmosphere would immediately be lost.
There is a scene in the first act, when the female lead, Janet Leigh, is driving in the car, and it is obvious that the background is not actually there, it is an effect. In most films, this would distract from the story line, but Hitchcock finds a way to actually make it contribute to the suspense and intensity of the scene. Hitchcock was undoubtedly the king of movie twists, and Joseph Stefano’s script creates an innovate way of thrilling an audience. Not only is there a mind boggling twist to end the movie, but a major story changing event like has never been seen before. This does not occur in the typical final act of the film, but within the first quarter. The visual style, and unique narrative is not all that is extraordinary about this movie. The performances across the board are all immensely effective. From Anthony Perkins’ eerily believable portrayal of Bates Motel owner, Norman Bates, to Janet Leigh’s depiction of the lustrous renegade Marion Crane.

****/****
Here is the original theatrical trailer for Psycho.