Psycho

Of the many times I've seen Psycho, there hasn't been once where I didn't recognize something new, realize something was there for a reason (mise en scene), or learn something new about some aspect of the movie. Psycho is one of those played out movies but it never seems to get old. I always try to wonder what is going to happen next in the movie and within the storyline. It is true that many times you can learn from the old, and as always, with Psycho, that is true.

There really are no parts to Psycho that I truly dislike. I'd say the only thing I dislike about Psycho is seeing it so many times. Psycho portrays one of Alfred Hitchcock's best. For me, this is true for many reasons. This movie demonstrates the use of film technique and element to get a point across better than many many movies I've seen and over every movie we have seen in class this year. The lighting, the focus, the shots, the mise en scene, the angles, the editing - all of them Hitchcock used in such a perfect way to produce such an excellent movie. What I found the most interesting was his use of lighting in this film. I have noticed it every time I watch Psycho. I am a big fan of lighting use in a film because it is so neat how the lighting can have such an effect on the movie and the picture being brought to the viewer's eye.

Once again, Hitchcock hits on the nail with the choosing of his actors. Between this movie and Frenzy, I would venture to say these had to be some of the best actors and actresses of their time. They were outstanding. An actor/actress can easily remember a role and the script but to portray the character with emotion and with personality takes work, and it is truly evident they went to this level. Not only that, but the emotions they display only create for a better environment within the storyline and the movie all together.

The storyline is hard to label as horrible too. It is so neat how predictable yet unpredictable the storyline is in Psycho. One mintue you think you know what's going on and the next, you are lost. Hitchcock does an excellent job making sure the storyline does not get off base and stays in a form that the viewer can understand. What is neat, though, is the fact that while he does keep the storyline at a point where a viewer can understand, there is so much more to be discovered about it and the symbolic meanings of the many mise en scences. This makes the viewer have to be focused and to keep a viewer focused in a movie is a key thing.

For a movie that keeps me interested time after time, I'd have to give Psycho two thumbs up yet again. Hitchcock never ceases to fail in anything he produces. I'd love to see something different from him though.

-Kevin