Psycho

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)

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 I mean, Psycho has undeniable value considering when it was made, but for all intents and purposes it's now just an outdated entertainment artifact.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)

Hitchcock was a peculiar and unique personality, the likes of which will probably never be born again. His Psycho is an example of perfect symbiosis between direction, cinematography and music, which leaves such a strong and deep impression that the viewer is forced to replay the story over and over again long after its end. And what comes to mind is perhaps not even necessary to repeat. Firstly, the chilling and disturbing atmosphere that stretches across the frame like a morning mist over a calm pond. Secondly, Bernard Herrmann's legendary score, which perhaps couldn't have been better and is the main reason why the famous bathroom scene is still considered a symbol of flawless horror. And finally, the truly insane Anthony Perkins and the aforementioned cinematography, thanks to which even the sight of a lonely dark house causes unpleasant chills. Yet, I hesitate to give a full rating. The ravages of time have taken their toll and Hitchcock's signature, however admirable and refined, will never represent my ideal, not only in film, but in horror as well. (05/10/2012)

I'll preface this with the fact that it's a better 3 stars. Where this movie wins is the music. I watched it in the cinema, with my classmates around me, and quite a few of them flinched in horror at the murder of the private eye. But that's mostly because of the music. Unfortunately, it didn’t fire me up, which is definitely a shame. And the other problem was that it was clear to me almost from the beginning what the ending was going to be. But I think this film belongs in the "must-see" column, so I don't regret going to see it at all as part of Project 100. But the last scene (before the credits jump in), that was really awesome. (18/12/2009)

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. (23/08/2003)