There is a reason that Sir Alfred Hitchcock is dubbed a master of cinema. He pioneered filming styles that are still being used today on television and movies alike. His distinctive style of filming, the use of close up shots to show the characters emotions throughout the movie, all of these add up to his films being some of the best thrillers on the market to this day.
Psycho is perhaps his most notable thriller which launched several sequels and a modern remake creating legends out of Norman Bates and the Bates Motel. The story begins as Marion Crane, played by movie legend Janet Leigh, meets with her lover and discusses the possibility of making their relationship legitimate. Sam confesses he cannot in good conscious make a life with her when his debt is severe and he continues to pay alimony to his ex-wife. When presented with the opportunity to steal $40,000 from her employer, Marion takes off to find her lover and solve his financial woes so that they may be together.
After a night of sleeping on the side of the road leads her to gain suspicion from a police officer, Marion makes several hasty decisions in her fear of being caught. After purchasing a new car, spending some of the money she has stolen, she returns to her trip to meet with Sam. When a rain storm at night limits her visibility and she takes a wrong turn off of the main highway, she sees the sign for the Bates Motel and decides to stop for the night.
Enter Norman Bates.
Anthony Perkins stars as the troubled young man who runs the Bates Motel under the shadow of his mother who lurks in the house on the hill. From the moment he sees Marion he is enchanted with her. As she is checking in he hesitates and finally chooses the ill fated room number 1 that is beside the office. Upon discovering that she is tired and hungry, he offers to bring her a meal.
Upon settling in her room, Marion hears an argument carried on the wind from the house between Norman and his mother over her. Norman brings Marion and meal of milk and sandwiches and the two meet to eat and talk in the parlor behind the motel office. It is in this encounter that we learn much about Norman and the plot opens for the chain of events that are to occur. Hitchcock not only presents us with a new mystery but through the development of the story we are also presented with a duplicitous character that hints of darkness bubbling beneath the surface of the mild mannered dutiful son. It is from her conversation with Norman that Marion decides to return to Phoenix with the stolen money and confess her crime. She returns to her room to take a shower and get some sleep so that she can begin her long drive home first thing in the morning.
The shower scene is probably the most notable scene in movie history. Filmed over the course of seven days these three minutes of film featured 77 different camera angles with a soundtrack that will leave you cringing as you witness the knife plunging time after time after time.
Psycho makes my list because it encapsulates everything there is about the horror genre in one neat little package. It preys upon hidden fears of travelling alone and staying in motels that are off the beaten path. It introduces a character that is seemingly normal yet hides a terrible truth that becomes deadly.
If I were to rank these movies, Psycho would definitely fall at the top of the list. It is timeless and there is no better month out of the year to watch this movie then October prior to Halloween.
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