Member review

'Psycho' is known for its visionary and one of a kind shower scene that broke the ways of Hollywood. Hitchcock brought a whole new life to cinema in 1960, once again proving his reputation as the 'master of suspense' time an time again. With a ravishing storyline and outstanding performances from Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh- 'Psycho' is nothing short of a visionary film.

Hitchcock's personality shines through this film as it is one of his best known pieces of work. The excellent use of lighting and sound is both seen and heard as suspense arises from every corner. As a modern spectator with little experience with watching films from The Golden Age, my thoughts while watching the film were 'why is this so slow?'. With the fast pace and detailed back stories in films we regularly find in the 20th century it was hard to flashback and watch this film with the mind of a teenaged spectator in the 60's.

The storyline in 'Psycho' (which was one of a kind at the time) has been used time and time again since the films release. With films such as 'House at the End of the Street' mimicking the storyline to achieve the ultimate build up and climax of the movie which ends with the revelation of a characters true personality. Both of these films have a strong female character, who is inevitably betrayed by someone they trust to a certain extent.

The performances in 'Psycho' were outstanding with a special mention to Anthony Perkins who plays the character of Norman Bates. Perkins plays this character to perfection, adding just the right amount of speculation to Bates' personality as well as making the audience feel sympathetic for him as he tries to survive with his controlling, stubborn and difficult mother.

The aesthetics of this film are not part o the glamour package that may have been expected at the end of the Golden Age, as the film is mainly set in a motel with a swamp near by. The blood and death involved in this film also take away from the glamour. The sound, as expected, is full of suspense.

Whether 'Psycho' is 'your kind of film' or not , it is certainly worth the watch as it outlays the plotline for many modern suspense horror films. This film definitely deserves its recognition, even though its not what you would expect as a modern spectator with our desensitized and dehumanized expectations from the horror and thriller genre.