EEE! EEE! EEE!
Those violins are like music to my ears. They accompany everything in our modern culture that we hate. They play in our heads when an unexpected person enters the corner of our eye. They play when we run into our ex's. They even play when Taylor Swift begins to sing or maybe it's just her out of tune, either way. (Notice the common theme here...)
And where did this famous tune come from? The answer is AFI Number 14 Psycho, another classic by Alfred Hitchcock. If you're easily scared and startled, then this movie will definitely have you on edge. But more specifically, if you love twist endings and psychological thrillers, then I give you the original stone tablet of the genre. This movie, though simple if you think about it, is the premise to most if not all horror/thriller movies of present day. You have to remember that murders by some demented psychopath wasn't as commonplace in movie theatres as it is now. Nowadays, it's weird if there isn't at least one of those movies playing.
So everyone knows the scene where the girl gets stabbed in the shower, her look of fear, the violins playing, and her dreadful scream. Well I didn't know that this scene happens less than half way through the movie, which left me watching with great intent to see what would happen next. This of course leads us to the film's conclusion, and the understanding that Norman is not the name you want for your newborn son. (And if you're name is Norman, than I apologize and I'm sure you love your mother very much...very much.)
What came first? The chicken or the egg?
Who's crazier? Norman Bates or Alfred Hitchcock?
Norman was psychotic, that's for sure, but he's just a character in the mastery of Alfred Hitchcock's imagination (let's just hope it's all imagination). He sure knew how to thrill people, that's for sure, and I have yet to see anyone match that kind of thrill until the late 90's. Yes, it took over 30 years for an Indian guy to match the quality of shock and awe with the Sixth Sense. I'm sure there are others that can be noted, but this one particularly comes to mind.
The movie-photography was great. (See prior posts for my thorough definition of the word). I like how the lighting turned on and off that you didn't know if there was some kid in the back playing with a light switch, but either way, it added dramatic effect. It worked in this movie and Vertigo, so the kid is doing something right.
So, conclusively, I definitely recommend this film to others who love to smother their sons. Let the children remember even more Hitchcock morals, such as, "Love your mother. Kill your mother. Be your mother." Also, "Always check your local newspaper for $40,000 in cash," and finally, "Take showers with a gun."
Alfred, you are the modern day Aesop.
