Alfred Hitchcock's most famous film earns its reputation for a reason.
A departure from the scope and large budget of his previous project, "North By Northwest",
this psychological horror was produced on only $800,000, and filmed in black-and-white
by a television crew.
The return to simplicity paid off in a big way, as the picture took home over $50 million
in ticket sales, making it the second-highest grossing film of 1960.
And in a particularly fortuitous move, Hitchcock deferred his standard $250,000 salary for
60% of these profits, which made him a very, very rich man.
When a Phoenix secretary (Janet Leigh) embezzles a small fortune from her employer and goes
on the run, she meets a peculiar young man (Anthony Perkins) under the domination of
his mother when checking into his remote motel.
Leigh is seductive and convincing as the nervous thief on the lam; constantly checking over
her shoulder while hurrying to get out of town.
We spend the first thirty minutes almost exclusively with her, seeing every cop car and potential
threat from her paranoid perspective.
As the creepy motel owner she reluctantly befriends, Perkins is sublime in his awkward
assertiveness, answering a question about spending time with friends by confessing,
"A boy's best friend is his mother".
This is a stunted social outcast who isn't afraid to get what he wants, even if he's
extremely nervous while doing so.
His nuanced portrayal makes his character one of the most memorable villains in cinema
history.
Now, to discuss "Psycho"'s most enduring moment, I'll unfortunately have to spoil the film's
major mid-act twist.
That sequence of course is the iconic "shower scene" - in which Leigh is violently stabbed
to death in the bathroom while attempting to wash away the guilt of her money-stealing
sins.
Considering no entry-wounds are ever shown, and the blood is just monochromatic chocolate
syrup - this is an especially graphic and intense sequence.
Throughout the picture, the score from Hitchock's longtime collaborator Bernard Herrmann utilizes
a muted, strings-only sound to create an unnerving atmosphere.
But during this brutal bathtub slaying?
The once subdued violins erupt with high-pitched piercing sounds at horrifying velocity, mimicking
the knife's unseen stabs.
Coupled with the quickly-edited close-ups, the result is a visceral sequence that still
terrifies audiences nearly 60 years later.
I can only imagine how audiences reacted when this film was first screened.
'The Master Of Suspense' earns his namesake with this moment alone.
It also earned the 109-minute film an "R"-rating when it was retroactively scored by the MPAA
in 1984.
And this is to say nothing of the scene's impact on the story!
Its frightening accomplishments and technical mastery aside, killing off the protagonist
halfway into the picture?
It dumps traditional narrative structure down the drain.
The boldness of Leigh's exit is virtually unparalleled in conventional storytelling.
From then on, the story shifts focus to Perkins and his mother; forcing the audience to become
implicit with their criminal behavior.
When he's destroying the evidence of this bloody crime by scuttling a car in a nearby
swamp... you actually get worried when it stops sinking halfway; if anyone sees the
exposed bumper, poor Norman Bates will be arrested!
But when the final air bubbles escape, and the Ford Custom 300 slowly sinks beneath the
murky water?
We share the same sly smile of relief that Perkins does.
Pivoting the narrative focus from the hero to the villain is a stunning twist, and a
brilliant decision from screenwriter Joseph Stefano.
Setting a new level of acceptability for violence, deviant behavior, and sexuality in American
films - "Psycho" is also considered to be the earliest example in the 'slasher' genre.
Its influential legacy extends beyond even that however, as it led to three sequels,
a prequel, a spin-off, two separate TV series, and a drive-by attraction at Universal Studios.
The masterwork is hampered only by a single, penultimate scene, when a minor-character
delivers a drawn-out explanation of the entire plot for slower viewers.
Spelling things out so directly only serves to kill the perfectly-paced narrative, just
before the movie's powerful final monologue.
Receiving four Oscar nominations and incessant praise, "Psycho" is Hitchock's finest achievement,
and one indelibly haunting picture.
And it's also tonight's featured review, so let's see what you had to say about it.
While everyone praised its originality and technical achievements, you held off on the
top score, rating this an AWESOME.
After careful consideration, and a recent re-watch, I think it's safe to say this is
an AMAZING film.
That does it for this quick excerpt - but if you'd like to watch full episodes of "Movie
Night", and submit your own reviews to be included on the show, please visit the Jogwheel
YouTube channel.
My name is Jonathan Paula, thanks for watching and have a good Movie Night!