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Movie Review - Psycho (1960)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Alfred Hitchcock |
| Starring: |
Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, and John Gavin |
| Rated: |
R |
| Length: |
109 minutes |
| Genre: |
Horror/Thriller |
| Website: |
IMDb Listing |
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PLOT
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Marion Crane (Leigh) works in an Arizona real estate office. One Friday afternoon, her boss entrusts her
with $40,000 to deposit in the bank for him. The money is too tempting for Marion, and she leaves town
with it. She heads for Fairvale, CA, where her boyfriend, Sam (Gavin), runs a hardware store, so they
can take the money and start a new life together. Just outside Fairvale, she is caught in a storm and
exhausted from the long drive she's had. She comes upon the little, out-of-the-way, Bates Motel, run by
Norman Bates (Perkins), and checks in ... never to check out (Bwahahahahahahahahahaha!).
When Marion's embezzlement is discovered, her sister, Lila (Miles), tries to get to Sam before the police
do. When she discovers that Marion never reached Sam, the two set out to find out what happened to her.
As they investigate the Bates Motel, they uncover the twisted history of the hotel's owners, Norman Bates
and his mother (Mother), who live in a house on the hill behind the hotel and have a creepy relationship.
Norman seems to be unusually attached to Mother. A story that's definitely more twisted than the Ashley
Judd "thriller" of the same name ensues.
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MS. CALI'S TAKE
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To me, "Psycho" epitomizes everything that Alfred Hitchcock was known for, from masterful editing (which
made the shower scene what is probably the most famous cinematic scene in history), to brilliant casting
choices, to that eerie feeling you get just watching someone climb the stairs.
The set is great as well. The Bates Motel at first seems like any little roadside hotel would - just a
few rooms on one floor, with a kind of homey feel to it ... until you get to know it. The Bates house is
a spooky old Victorian manor, the kind that fits right into this thriller. *As a side note, the Bates
Motel and house can still be seen at Universal Studios, Hollywood, on the Studio tour. If you are ever
in LA and get a chance, definitely visit Universal Studios and do the studio tour (part of the admission
into the theme park). You'll see a lot of famous TV and movie sets, plus the chance to buy some cool
"Psycho" memorabilia, like the shower curtain with the shadow of Mother Bates holding the knife, or
towels and robes that say "Bates Motel" on them, shouldn't be passed up. I have the shower curtain and
had it hanging in my old apartment for a while ... alas, my current place has the type of shower with a
door on it, so Mother is packed away for now. End commercial for Universal Studios.*
The real star of this movie is Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates. I won't say why, because if you haven't
seen this movie it would just give too much away, but he is excellent. It's no wonder AFI put him as
#2 on their list of the 50 greatest Villains of all time (surpassed only by Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal
Lecter of "Silence of the Lambs" and sequels ... a choice that I disagree with because I think Norman
Bates is just a little better. I also disagree with their choice of #1 Hero as Gregory Peck's Atticus
Finch from "To Kill a Mockingbird" over #2 Indiana Jones, but I digress).
Psycho was remade in 1998 with Vince Vaughn as Norman Bates, Anne Heche as Marion Crane, Julianne
Moore as Lila Crane and Viggo Mortensen as Sam Loomis. I haven't seen the remake yet, so my next task
will be to rent that and do a comparison review.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- The movie was filmed in black and white because Hitchcock believed it would be too gory for color.
- Janet Leigh is Jamie Lee Curtis' mother.
- A knife stabbing a casaba melon was used to make the sound of Janet Leigh being stabbed in the shower.
- Bosco's chocolate syrup is used for the blood in the shower scene.
- Watch the last scene with Norman Bates very closely. You can see the skull of Mother superimposed on
Norman's face. Very subtle but quite cool.
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HITCHCOCK CAMEO
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About 4 minutes into the movie Hitchcock can be seen outside Marion's office wearing a cowboy hat.
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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This movie is probably too scary for young children (although, knowing the things my 9-year-old step-sister
is allowed to see, I wouldn't be surprised if some of them could handle it). It's suspenseful without
being gory, and there really isn't any bad language. I think Mama would be fine with it, unless she is
easily scared.
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THE GIST
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"Psycho" is at the top of my list of Hitchcock favorites. It was also AFI's #1 Thrilling Film in their
100 Years, 100 Movies series (yes, I watch them all ... I love lists!). A bit of trivia - Alfred Hitchcock
directed at least 9 of the 100 movies on the list. It just proves what I've been saying all along ... he's
a genius. Now, stop reading this review, and go rent "Psycho." I'll have you all be Hitchcock fans yet!
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