'Psycho,' as far as I know, is the first psychological horror film...or at least the first one to gain as much attention as it has over the past four decades. I should probably catch up on my research before saying this, but I'm pretty sure that horror films before this one consisted of your typical werewolf/vampire villian (which, I can't help but still love!). What makes 'Psycho' particularly frightening isn't just the fact that the villian (which, it is arguable to even refer to him as that) is the psychotic Norman Bates, but that he first appears to be one of the kindest, most gentle human beings one can think of. It really makes you wonder if there is someone in your own life that may unexpectedly be...crazy! But interestingly enough, Norman Bates was not the only villian in the film. Up until Marion meets him at the motel, the villian in the film is Marion's guilt. The guilt follows Marion since the moment she left her house with the money, and ironically when Marion thinks she is going to defeat the guilt by returning home, she falls into the the trap of the other villian in the film - Norman Bates (well, his "mother").
What I enjoyed the most about 'Psycho' was that the star of the movie was Norman himself. His character(s) were the focus of the film, as opposed to the Jennifer Love Hewitts and Neve Campbells of today's slasher films. Norman wasn't just a killer running around with a mask stabbing people. He had a story. He had a reason for his madness.
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3 comments:
I agree with you that the truly scary dimension of Psycho is Norman's normalcy. His line, "We all go a little mad sometimes...haven't you?", seems to get at Hitchcock's insistence that the worst horror is the everyday kind that's taking place all the time in our pleasant little suburban neighborhoods.
BTW, David Lynch picks up on this theme again in a number of his films, especially in the opening sequence of Blue Velvet.
I also appreciate what you said about Marion's guilt. Hitch was Catholic, and a lot of critics have a lot to say about the morality of his movies.
psycho is one of the scariest movies that i have ever seen and to this day i cannot watch it straight through.
i wish that hollywood would stop making corny horror movies that rely on stupid screen tricks. they just don't make em like they used to.
Thanks for the artical, you helped me with some homework!
Daniel :)
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