Review of Psycho (2007) by Allen G — 02 Mar 2014

I'm not a huge Hitchcock fan, though I guess that's more because I haven't seen many of the films rather than that I have any dislike for his work, but I certainly enjoy this one regardless.

Horror films never appeal to me, not because I don't like the feeling of fear but rather because they never make me feel that way, especially with today's slasher flicks that just feel like badly-written, homogenised, action flicks trying to cash in on the 'horror' tag.

For me, psychological horror is the only chance a film has at making me feel scared, or at least fairly uncomfortable and while this film didn't scare me as such, it left me with a chilling feeling and kept me thinking about it enough afterwards to want to see it again.

The primary reason for this is, I think, the screenplay, which does a fantastic job at not only tricking you as the viewer but also at giving you a fabulously dark character to study and a smart reveal that you won't see coming. (unless you know about the film already, which probably everyone does by now!).

Moving on the camera-work- the shots themselves are brilliantly innovative which leaves them oozing with a style and identity that holds up to this day. (unless you just straight-up try to copy it- remake, I'm looking at you)The shower scene, the stair scene, the car scene('s) and of course the final moments of the movie- all of it stays with you because it's all just that damn cool.

I bought this one on blu-ray and felt rather foolish for doing so because, hey, it's black and white, how much more am I really gonna see in HD? Thankfully, the film looked way better than I expected and the HD version only served to remind me of how wise the decision to make this film black and white was.

I honestly feel that had this film been made in colour, it would not hold up as well today- the visual feel is a perfect match for its story and so, unlike many of the old cowboy films that your grandad watches (whatever, okay) - this one doesn't feel in any way held back by the fact that it's limited in colour.

When you combine the ingenious story with the hugely original shots and well-thought out aesthetics, you are left with a film that's truly a classic in that it holds its ground to this very day. If this film came out tomorrow for the first time- I'd love it.

Of course, I can't end without bringing the soundtrack up- the all-strings orchestra is another perfect touch that shows the potential of film as a collaborative media to create something truly remarkable when all of the individual elements come together as one uniform piece. Hermann thankfully avoided Hitchock's suggestion of a jazz score for this film and instead gave us a completely new cast member- a sweeping and deliberate mix of flails and dives that you can't help but be left in awe of when its all put with the going-ons on screen.

For me, it's a shoe-in for the best film score ever made and it's a vital contribution to a movie that's genuinely creepy on its own. When the music kicks in, you're trapped in the paranoia and your eyes are stuck to the screen- that's the closest that I've got to a real horror experience from a film and it's in damn near every second of this one.

Finally, I'd best address the performances. They're unsurprisingly good with Perkins creating a memorable character with such nuance that the film remains interesting no matter how many times you return to it. His bird-like presence at times was surely an influence on Hopkin's reptilian Hannibal Lecter and I've no doubt that this film overall continues to stand at the top of the influence-ladder within the horror genre.

Janet Leigh's performance also can't be forgotten as she brings a light and timid presence to the film that feels relatively unimportant until that famous shower scene kills it completely and you're left only in the dark company of a deranged killer and the distraught who search for Crane's fate.

If a classic film has ever lived up to its hype then it's this one- it shouldn't be viewed as an example of a great horror movie but rather as a great movie. Period. A superb script that manages to make keep you constantly on hold whilst also being able to make you laugh when it wants to, and a visual and audio collaboration that makes the film stand out well beyond one's expectations make this an absolute must-see.

"Uh-uh, Mother-m-mother, uh, what is the phrase? She isn't quite herself today.".