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Showing all 11 reviews...
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A masterpiece that started a whole genre of thrilling movies with shocking twists and turns. And yet it remains the best. Even today it is haunting, thrilling, shocking, and incredibly suspenseful. Everybody should see this movie at least once it's one of those movies that affects the whole of society as we know it. See it, NOW!
10/10
8.11.2006 -
bradchase383@ - age: 18-25
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[ATTENTION: This review reveals content of the movie.]
Alfred Hitchcocks 1960 cinematic milestone, Psycho, is about a murderous lunatic who has a disturbing and bizarre relationship with his mother. The content story is presented using a variety of techniques the likes of which had never been seen before. Hitchcock uses subtle insinuations, violent shock and brilliant cinematography by John L. Russell. The film flabbergasted 1960 audiences with its usage of violence and sex. The remarkable thing is, there is no graphic violence or on-screen sex in the film. The innuendo-filled dialogue was no new step for Hitchcock, however. Just a year before, in North by Northwest he used an enormous amount of sexual tension without actually showing anything offensive to the audience. The violence in Psycho is where he took the biggest step forward. Even Hitchcocks shocks are developed from insinuation, as seen in the legendary murder in the shower sequence. With some clever lighting used to shield the murderers face, we are shown the killer head-on, raising a knife at a nude (but hidden) Janet Leigh. He proceeds to stab her several times, and all we see is a screaming Leigh, a jabbing knife and blood trickling down the shower drain. There is not a single image of a blade piercing flesh or nudity in the scene, but Hitchcock leaves these things to the imagination. This is his method of insinuation. This, however, is only one scene in a whole film full of innovative and ingenious shock techniques. We see modern horror cinema shaping before our eyes in those scenes where an uncomfortably long build-up leads to a vivid but brief depiction of horrific violence. As in almost all Hitchcock films, there is also an incredibly witty screenplay to take into account. This one, written by Joseph Stefano, manages to incorporate dark humor and brilliant character work into one of the grisliest horror films in history. A fascinating aspect of the film is that the most character study is focused on the killer, rather than the killed. This alone was another huge leap forward in the medium of film. Anthony Perkins delivers a delightfully creepy and eerily convincing performance of a man completely submersed in insanity. Janet Leigh (although she only survives approximately fifty minutes of the movie) is also excellent in her role, balancing the right amount of pity and caution for Perkinss psychopathic character. And what pieces the film together the best is Bernard Herrmanns masterful, terrifying musical score (composed entirely of stringed instruments) It puts the audience on edge as soon as the stylish credits begin. The main theme to Psycho is arguably the best in any film. All in all, Psycho is a highly important and enormously entertaining milestone in the history of cinema. Not only has it spawned countless amounts of imitators, it has also spawned many of todays imitated..
10/10
11.2.2006 -
prankstaguy@ - age: 13-17
The nbest horror film ever. The type of film that ruins a career, as the actor creates such a unique character in Norman Bates, that he is forever associated with it. Unexpected turns abound in this movie. One of Hitchcock's best.
10/10
10.1.2004 -
dominicproctor@ - age: 36-49
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