Directed by : Alfred Hitchcock
Imdb link -> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054215/
I think I must have one of those faces you can't help believing.
Until now I had seen that bathroom death scene of Marion (Janet Leigh), in both my cinema courses. Usually that means for us that this is a classic film, therefore you are being taught something about it as a study. And finally I saw the movie yesterday.
Its just my 3rd Hitchcock movie, way too less but will catch up with it some day. The start of the movie is slow, and the 1st conversation between Sam (John Gavin) and Marion puts me off, maybe its because its a very general talk happening, or maybe I haven't got myself attached to the black and white atmosphere of the movie. The real fun begins when Marion is asked to submit 40,000 dollars at the bank, and she thinks it would be a good chance to run away with that money even if she has been a honest worker at the bank for so many years.
The conversation between police and Marion builds the suspense part, and the awkwardness Marion has set herself into with her step to run away. When she enters a motel which is far off at the highway, the first look shown to us gives a view that its kind of abandoned motel and when Norman (Anthony Perkins) arrives, the doubt proves right. Norman's long conversation with Marion is probably the first big sequence in the movie, as we move closer to the psycho part, the camera shows various birds around the place and even the conversation of Norman begins on the birds stuff part. And when Marion asks him why doesn't he put his mother who is ill in a mental place, the first sign of psycho being Norman is revealed. The death scene of Marion is classically shot, along with that famous background theme. The follow up scene to the death keeps the suspense on, as its not sure if Norman himself did it, or his mother or something else happened but one Norman has a part is confirmed.
Detective Arbogast (Martin Balsam) sequence with Norman is another great one, how he gets the information out of Norman as Norman ends up getting himself tangled into the questions asked by detective, defying his own told words.
There are two good shots Hithcock keeps, one before killing Marion, where Norman goes to his house, and instead of taking stairs upwards, he moves towards left, sits on table and acts wierdly which you understand later. Then, the other shot where Norman is having conversation with his mother, and then he forces her out of room to hide her from detective, and the quick fade out when the mother is revealed.
Also, the sequence of Sam and Lila (Vera Miles), sister of Marion.. where they try to find the truth, Sam making Normal feel uncomfortable with his questions, and Lila searching mother for answers.
Why Norman did all this, what role his mother had, is very well explained in the pre-climax scene. And then, the final scene of Norman, when he behaves much more real.
Anthony Perkins is brilliant, he acts out the disturbed mind part so well.
Hitchcock probably believed in his actors a lot, hence a lot of close up shots, like the one where Marion is driving and the background has the narration of what she has done.
Also, the suspense stays till long, you know who are involved but not the exact reason until explained out.
Its a must watch movie for people who love thrillers or Hitchcock movies, and the ones who wants to make movies.
I will surely watch 2nd and 3rd parts, though they aren't directed by Hitchcock and expectedly have quite low ratings at Imdb, but the character of Norman makes me curious to see what was done to it from the end of this movie.
Imdb link -> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054215/
I think I must have one of those faces you can't help believing.
Until now I had seen that bathroom death scene of Marion (Janet Leigh), in both my cinema courses. Usually that means for us that this is a classic film, therefore you are being taught something about it as a study. And finally I saw the movie yesterday.
Its just my 3rd Hitchcock movie, way too less but will catch up with it some day. The start of the movie is slow, and the 1st conversation between Sam (John Gavin) and Marion puts me off, maybe its because its a very general talk happening, or maybe I haven't got myself attached to the black and white atmosphere of the movie. The real fun begins when Marion is asked to submit 40,000 dollars at the bank, and she thinks it would be a good chance to run away with that money even if she has been a honest worker at the bank for so many years.
The conversation between police and Marion builds the suspense part, and the awkwardness Marion has set herself into with her step to run away. When she enters a motel which is far off at the highway, the first look shown to us gives a view that its kind of abandoned motel and when Norman (Anthony Perkins) arrives, the doubt proves right. Norman's long conversation with Marion is probably the first big sequence in the movie, as we move closer to the psycho part, the camera shows various birds around the place and even the conversation of Norman begins on the birds stuff part. And when Marion asks him why doesn't he put his mother who is ill in a mental place, the first sign of psycho being Norman is revealed. The death scene of Marion is classically shot, along with that famous background theme. The follow up scene to the death keeps the suspense on, as its not sure if Norman himself did it, or his mother or something else happened but one Norman has a part is confirmed.
Detective Arbogast (Martin Balsam) sequence with Norman is another great one, how he gets the information out of Norman as Norman ends up getting himself tangled into the questions asked by detective, defying his own told words.
There are two good shots Hithcock keeps, one before killing Marion, where Norman goes to his house, and instead of taking stairs upwards, he moves towards left, sits on table and acts wierdly which you understand later. Then, the other shot where Norman is having conversation with his mother, and then he forces her out of room to hide her from detective, and the quick fade out when the mother is revealed.
Also, the sequence of Sam and Lila (Vera Miles), sister of Marion.. where they try to find the truth, Sam making Normal feel uncomfortable with his questions, and Lila searching mother for answers.
Why Norman did all this, what role his mother had, is very well explained in the pre-climax scene. And then, the final scene of Norman, when he behaves much more real.
Anthony Perkins is brilliant, he acts out the disturbed mind part so well.
Hitchcock probably believed in his actors a lot, hence a lot of close up shots, like the one where Marion is driving and the background has the narration of what she has done.
Also, the suspense stays till long, you know who are involved but not the exact reason until explained out.
Its a must watch movie for people who love thrillers or Hitchcock movies, and the ones who wants to make movies.
I will surely watch 2nd and 3rd parts, though they aren't directed by Hitchcock and expectedly have quite low ratings at Imdb, but the character of Norman makes me curious to see what was done to it from the end of this movie.
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