Psycho

It’s such a shame that this film’s twist is so profane today, the experience would have been much greater without knowing it. What surprised me a little is that it was the bathroom scene the one that became the most famous, I think the one of the attack at the stairs is a lot better – it’s one of the best and most terrifying attacks on film I’ve ever seen. Basically, it manages to precisely capture the instant between the reveal of the attacker and the attack itself, thus saving both the moment of surprise and the moment of tension. It’s like when, in a fraction of a second, you notice that the person who has just started running towards you is holding a knife. Yeah, and before I forget, Psycho made me realise what is that thing that often bothers me in old films, that characters driving a car shot from the front turn the steering wheel too much :-) 90% (05/01/2009)

Alfred Hitchcock is a master at creating a dark atmosphere, the constant rain, black and white composition, the old house, and a few shots of a heavily clouded sky literally predicts evil, accompanied by brilliant music. Overall, this film was revolutionary for its time and something unseen. Today? The power and shock have somewhat diminished, times are changing after all, but even after all these years, this film still has something special. (27/04/2005)

When I saw Psycho in a packed cinema, it evoked more laughter than horror. It wasn't laughter of relief in response to something shocking, but in response to some now unintentionally funny dialogue and situations towards the end of the film. Times change and what worked 40 or more years ago doesn't have the same power today. I appreciate Hitchcock's great surprise for the uninitiated (the famous shower scene and its completely unexpected consequence) and the shocking twist. The black-and-white cinematography is also excellent, and the realities of where the film takes place are impressive. But overall, Hitchcock's most famous film didn't leave a deep mark on me. Just because it was made by the great Master himself, I won't waste a full rating. From a historical point of view, five stars. From a purely subjective point of view and overall emotional experience, a decent four stars. (24/08/2003)

Film delicacy, which belongs to the golden treasury of world cinematography and if Hitchcock hadn't filmed anything else, he still deserved to have a marble monument carved for him. The shower scene or the fall down the stairs are for me a symbol of perfect direction, and the slowly rotating chair in the basement is a symbol of horror as a distinct genre. Excellent performance by Perkins, who was never able to surpass his performance and actually never got out of the role of the deranged Norman. The ingredients in this film are balanced in such a way that a delicacy was created... The incredibly impactful music is also worth mentioning. Overall impression 100%. (06/05/2007)

Somehow I'm getting lost here in the flood of "immortal", "classic", and "timeless". I mean, Psycho has undeniable value considering when it was made, but for all intents and purposes it's now just an outdated entertainment artifact. The script scrapes its dialogue from the bottom, the acting and general direction of the actors is severely laughable (apart from Anthony Perkins, who is quite out of step with the production of the time in both his performance and appearance), the early identification of the killer takes the edge off the scare, and the editing is downright prehistoric. The interesting reveal and cinematography were enjoyable, plus I believe that to experience Psycho in its time would be pretty psycho, but nowadays the film operates on significantly different algorithms. (16/04/2012)