Review: Psycho (1960)

Another review for my school paper.
Before killers terrorized teens, black comedy-style, making them Scream; before Freddy turned a dream into A Nightmare on Elm Street; before Jason (and his mom) terrorized the kids at Camp Crystal Lake on Friday the 13th; and before he came home on Halloween, there was a lonely man and his overbearing mother in the granddaddy of all slasher films, Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 masterwork Psycho.

The timeless horror film stars Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, the boyish proprietor of the Bates Motel who is stuck under the watchful eye of his invalid mother, and Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, a woman on the run from the law who happens upon the inn one stormy night. Hitchcock, widely considered one of the best, if not the best, directors of all-time, creates an unforgettable film here. It is arguably the most impressive work from his long list of masterpieces. The mood of the film is created flawlessly; tension reigns from the first time we hear Bernard Herrmann’s infamous score, with its unique sound that builds suspense like no other. The film is shot in beautiful black-and-white that, through its dark shades and shadows, lends a kind of eeriness that would have been nonexistent had the movie been done in the popular Technicolor of the day. There may have little in the gore department compared to what we see today, but the sense of menace, lurking throughout, outdoes most of the cheaply-made modern thrillers that Hollywood seems to constantly churn out.

The acting in Psycho is uniformly good. Two people in particular shine: Janet Leigh and, of course, Anthony Perkins in one of the greatest performances ever committed to celluloid. He is charming and creepy and sympathetic, all at once. At first you believe him to be just a sad figure, trapped by a feeling of responsibility to his mother. Then, he begins to show his different sides, and you become unsure of what he is capable of doing. It is first-rate performing that is a pleasure to watch.

Psycho was ranked the fourteenth greatest film ever made by the American Film Institute, and for good reason; they really do not get much better than this. It seamlessly blends expert technical precision with immense entertainment. This is one of those films that must be seen by anyone who considers themselves a film fan or horror movie buff to completely earn that title. It is a dazzling achievement, a work for the ages that has rightfully become a classic. A+

P.S. If you are lucky enough not to know the twist, do not let anybody ruin it for you.