Rating of
4/4
PSYCHOtic.
memento_mori - wrote on 08/07/13
Who doesn't love Psycho?
It's famous for being a controversial directorial change. It was pretty much a taboo for a director of Hitchcock's level to attempt a horror movie at that time, but I'm glad it paid off tremendously.
I don't know where to begin.
It has been documented that this film's making encountered heaps of problems. Scenes were cut, limitations were large and the anticipation was minimal. It was basically frowned upon by all movie goers at that time. But it worked. Everyone loved it. And that's why it's so brilliant.
I call this strictly a masterpiece, because the way it came together in the end makes me so happy. If anything were different, if another scene was to be added, it wouldn't be the same. That's why it's a masterpiece.
What no one ever talks about is the decision to film this in black and white. After all, it was 1960. They had Technicolor.
I think they made the right decision. A horror movie needs to have shades of black and white, gothic tones and an overall spooky feel. Think about it: What would the shower scene look like in color? Would it look better? I think they hit every right mark while making it.
The ending is also a huge highlight. Another example of perfection. The way it was shot and edited and the monologue were as much frightening as they were brilliant.
You probably want to know what I think of the biopic 'Hitchcock', starring Anthony Hopkins. While I think the acting and consumes were phenomenal, it didn't really give me what I wanted. It didn't explain Hitchcock's reason to make a movie of this level of controversy and magnitude.
That's just it. We'll never know what he was thinking. He just left us with his greatest work: Psycho.
I don't know what else to say. It's just perfect! Considering how unwanted this film was at the time, and how it stunned and shocked audiences just add to its value today. I don't know what Hitch was thinking or what his goal was or what he intended. Maybe no one will ever know. All I know is: he left us with a shocking, brilliant, gothic, iconic movie that can easily be ranked among classics.
Psycho truly is psycho.
