Psycho (1960)

It is amazing that one of this film's most shocking sequences ("The Shower" scene) has become instantaneously recognizable, yet still can surprise a first time viewer. Despite my previous knowledge of one of the most important developments in the plot (I was already aware that the film's protagonist, Marion, would eventually be murdered in the shower), this film was so well-crafted that I nonetheless experienced terror and complete disbelief when the moment finally came. While my reaction was probably slightly less terrified than the original first 1960's audience, we most likely shared the confusion caused by the untimely and completely unexpected timing of Marion Crane's death. As I watched her step into the shower I remember internally calculating the length of the movie, because there was no way Hitchcock would kill her off already! He can't do that! The heroine is supposed to live at least three-quarters of the movie! I can only imagine what it would have been like to see this film without its content having already been ingrained in our culture.

I did enjoy being able to piece together the parts of the story that, sadly, I already knew (which were also the most important twists in the plot: the shower scene, the revelation of Norman's psychotic tendencies) and the parts that actually explained the rest of the story. Throughout my first viewing of Psycho I admit I was distracted by the seemingly unexplained and random events, such as Marion stealing a large sum of cash from her employer. Only after watching the movie a second time did I realize Hitchcock purposefully avoided situations that would obviously foreshadow these events or hint at things to come, which is almost expected by movie audiences. No one could guess the first time around that Marion would actually steal the cash, because nothing in her countenance or attitude gave it away. Hitchcock wanted the viewer to be just as surprised as her boss, and even she, was! It is a masterful move on the director's part, which keeps the audience surprised instead of expecting.

While many critics have apparently decided on a "slasher" label for Hitchcock's Psycho, I think its multidimensional and character-driven plot are too deep for that shallow genre. One of the most surprising elements of this film is that instead of always hating Norman Bates (whose creeper attitude and violent acts would typically invoke that reaction), I often sympathized with his character. For example, when he is cleaning up the bathroom after Marion's murder, I admit I felt a twinge of anxiety that he would miss some piece of evidence...even though earlier I had felt more loyalty to Marion's character! This happens again when Norman pushes the car containing all the evidence into the swamp and watches as it stalls in its descent. Clearly, Psycho is not a typical "slasher" film, but contains important and complex emotions that shape the film into a masterpiece.