Halloween Movie Countdown #9: Psycho

One doesn't mention horror films without at least thinking of the great Alfred Hitchcock. The director was known for making audiences think, and when it came to horror films, making them fear. Hitchcock had the ability to take an everyday experience and make it scary. In what I believe is his greatest horror film, Hitchcock uses sound and imagery in such a perfect combination to create a tone of fear unlike any other. Psycho, based on the novel by Robert Bloch, is a classic horror film for both it's storyline and it's phenomenal imagery and sound.

The screenplay for Psycho was written by Joseph Stefano and was based on the novel Psycho by Robert Bloch. The story itself is incredibly well-written, taking the audience on a mental adventure and forcing them to think. The audience had no choice but to wonder. Numerous little twists cause the viewer to question their own thinking throughout the film. While the story was not his, Hitchcock did a wonderful job of keeping the viewer hooked while the story progressed. The suspense continually built throughout the film right up to the climax.

The story follows Marion Crane, a secretary from Phoenix running away with $40,000, to the Bates Motel. There, Crane meets Norman Bates, owner of the motel. Crane goes missing and friends and family are forced to find her themselves. Crane's boyfriend, Sam, sister, Lila, and private detective Arbogast head to the motel to see what they can find. They can't seem to get much help from the very strange Bates, who appears to be under the control of his sick mother. Mrs. Bates never leaves the house on the hill behind the motel, and Norman is often called to help her, leaving Sam and Lila alone with time to investigate. Eventually Lila meets Mrs. Bates, and discovers what is really going on at the Bates Motel.

The suspense is so great throughout the entire story, thanks to both Hitchcock's directing and the performance of the cast. While the entire cast was not what I would call outstanding, several actors delivered a perfect performance for this film. Anthony Perkins played the role of Norman Bates, and he could not have done much better. Perkins presents Bates as an awkward, over-eager motel owner, with a hint of creepiness. As the film progresses, so does the strangeness of Bates. Perkins did a fantastic job of putting himself in the shoes of his character, delivering a very real product. Anthony Perkins is, and always will be, Norman Bates.

Vera Miles also delivered a fantastic performance for what she needed to do. While it was not perfect, it was successful in creating the right character for the film. Miles plays Lila, the sister of Marion Crane. Miles is able to capture the idea of fright and horror perfectly towards the end of the film. In my opinion, that exact acting is what made the difference between this film being great, as opposed to good. Had Miles not pulled off the ultimate sense of fear and horror, Psycho would not be the film it is today.

Hitchcock uses sounds and imagery so perfectly in this film to set the tone and keep the audience hooked. The camera angles and shot selection create a feel of suspense throughout the story, and Hitchcock knows exactly what needs to happen and when it needs to happen. Perhaps even more crucial to the film than the imagery is the use of sound. The score for Psycho was written by Bernard Herrmann. The music was used so perfectly, creating the extreme feeling of suspense. It is my firm belief that the sound and music in Psycho are the most important aspects of the entire film. One cannot describe in words just how perfect the sound was, it must been experienced for oneself.

Psycho must be appreciated for what it is. It may not scare every viewer today, at least not the same way it did when it first came out. However, even for an older film, Psycho achieves a sense of fear and suspense in its viewers like none other.