Psycho (1960)

 Psycho (1960)

62 years after release, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho remains the auteur’s most impactful film. He made incredible thrillers such as Vertigo, North by Northwest, and The Birds, but can any of these pictures match the cultural and film impact this particular film had? Even though the major surprises have long been spoiled, this still remains a masterpiece in tension and manipulation. Some consider this to be the start of the slasher genre which of course allowed films such as 1978’s Halloween to be produced. Hitchcock made some very bold directorial choices that stands the test of time…including murdering the protagonist about a third through the thriller. That shower scene remains one of the most effective murder scenes ever created. There are no knife cuts or wounds displayed. There is a little amount of blood as Hitchcock felt like the audience would not be ready for such gore, but Gus Van Sant later repudiated that fact in his shot-to-shot 1998 remake. Rather, Hitchcock used sharp editing techniques and various camera angles to full effect. Bernard Herrmann’s score of screeching violins and cellos is the final straw that made this scene legendary. To this day, it remains one of the best scenes in cinema, in my personal opinion. It received mixed reviews upon release (mainly because critics were forced to see the film with an audience) but a reevaluation was much kinder. Without a doubt, this is Hitchcock’s best film (out of many incredible films). There is no denying its impact on cinema as a psychoanalytical thriller. I was surprised to see how much analysis is out there.

Paramount did not want the film to be made at all. They felt like the audience would not care for such a movie. Hitchcock shot the film for only $800,000, a low budget amount for this time frame. Instead of using a large crew, he used his Alfred Hitchcock Presents television crew to save money. He chose to shoot the film in black-and-white…which also helped the movie itself. It allowed the film to show less gore. The Bates Motel and house were built on the Universal backlot. Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins were bankable stars, but they had to take a major pay cut like Hitchcock did. Bernard Herrmann actually received a doubled salary because of his influential music. The director originally intended not to have music during the murder scene. We should all be thankful for Herrmann’s insistence. Hitchcock got away with his picture being more sexual. In 1960, the Production Code was failing. Right away, in the opening scene, where Leigh and John Gavin are making love, that is proof that no one cared about the code. That also applies to the murder scene. There were only very few edits that the director had to made. So yes, the film is more sexual in nature when compared with Hitchcock’s earlier films.

Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) is a Phoenix-based assistant who laments over the fact that she cannot marry her boyfriend, Sam Loomis (John Gavin) over his alimony payments. She finds an opportunity to steal $40,000 in cash from her boss’s client and escape to California where she can marry Sam. She makes it very close to the border and decides to sleep for the night at Bates Motel run by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). Bates has had little business since they moved the state highway. He lives with his mother on the big house on the hill overlooking the hotel. Marion learns that his mother is a mad, controlling woman but Norman chalks it up to mental illness. She later decides to return the money to Phoenix…but never makes it. Sam, along with Marion’s sister Lila (Vera Miles) and an investigator, Milton Arbogast (Martin Balsam) arrive at the hotel to make their own inquiries over Marion’s disappearance. It is important to note that Norman’s mother is very protective of her son.

The performances are great throughout. Janet Leigh has never been better as she had a commanding screen presence. Anthony Perkins is great at garnering sympathy from the audience. Even though he commits the murders, there is much more to the truth. One could say that Norman becomes the protagonist after Marion Crane is out of the picture. That is analysis for another time. The supporting cast is wonderful. Martin Balsam is a great investigator!

Even if you go into the film knowing every surprise, Psycho is a tense, melodramatic thriller with Alfred Hitchcock at his very best. I can only imagine the pure shock of the audience in 1960 seeing such vivid imagery for the first time. Hitchcock actually instituted a rule where no latecomers were allowed. Gee, wish that rule was in place for all movies. He made some very bold choices and he made every dollar in his limited budget count. The shower scene is one of the best scenes ever (Hitchcock purportedly used 60-75 different cameras to get the many shots needed so he could rapidly edit them together. Paramount had no intention of getting the film made yet through Hitchcock’s perseverance, this is his best film (and that is saying something).

My Grade: A+