Movie Review: Psycho (1960)

        For this blog entry, I want to briefly talk about my viewing experience of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. Firstly, I should mention that I had watched Bates Motel, a television series inspired by Psycho, prior to watching the movie. As a result, seeing that I was familiar with Norman Bates's character, I was genuinely curious to observe how he would be portrayed. 

        As Dr. Hammond mentioned in class, the film focuses on the character of Marion Crane for about the first 45 minutes until her death. While watching, I was surprised that after detailing Marion's love and work life, she was abruptly killed in the classic shower scene. At that moment, I was unsure as to how the movie would proceed since the main character, up until that point, was killed off. As the movie progressed, Norman Bates, played by Anthony Perkins, became the center of attention and I was instantly reminded of my fascination with Freddie Highmore's (played Norman Bates in Bates Motel) portrayal of the character. From Perkins's facial expressions/looks of uncertainty to stuttering when asked about Marion Crane, many examples of Norman Bate's peculiar attributes can be found within Psycho. Having watched Bates Motel, I had assumed that something shocking would finally be revealed about Norman given his unique mother-son relationship as well as his more-than-a-hobby of taxidermy. 

        Overall, I appreciated what the film had to offer for a variety of reasons. Not only did Psycho remind me of why I liked Bates Motel so much, but it was able to set up a story, go in-depth about the abnormalities and struggles of a character introduced almost halfway into the film, and include a mystery aspect in which a case needed solving. Ultimately, the movie kept my attention all the way through and it is definitely one that I will be recommending to others. 

Tristan Hilson