PSYCHO - DVD review

I remember the day after "Psycho" opened in 1960 that a popular San Francisco radio and television personality, Don Sherwood, said it was the worst film he had ever seen. It was not worthy of the master director, Alfred Hitchcock, he said. It was trash. Don't see it. His comments were consistent with other reviews; the movie was panned by quite a few critics across the country. But audiences lined up for it for blocks, and within a few months most critics had changed their mind. Before long, Hitchcock was nominated for an Academy Award, and "Psycho" was on lists of the best films of the year; then it was on lists of best shockers, best suspense thrillers, and, finally, best films of all time.

This reviewer has seen it about two dozen times, in the theater, on TV, on Beta and VHS tape; now, I welcome it with open arms, but watch those knives, on DVD. It is more than the great granddaddy of all slasher films; it is a great thriller, a great black comedy, and a lesson in filmmaking.

The fact is, Hitch opened up a whole new landscape of cinema with "Psycho." Whether he intended the film to be so pioneering a work is still up for grabs, but it is. It's a landmark film in the use of realistic violence, shock, humor, and surprise. Today, virtually every horror film and thriller owes its allegiance to "Psycho." Heck, even Steven Spielberg's bloodletting in the opening scene of "Saving Private Ryan" owes its being to "Psycho."

The story begins with a young woman, played by Janet Leigh, stealing money from her boss in order to run away with her boyfriend, played by John Gavin. She makes the mistake, though, of not reading enough mystery novels because as she is driving to join Gavin, she stops one dark and stormy night at a spooky old house--the Bates Motel. The young man who runs the place, Norman Bates, played by Anthony Perkins, seems nice enough, offering Leigh sandwiches in his office and pleasant conversation. Everything goes swimmingly until Norman mentions his mother, with whom he lives in apparent conflict. "Mother.... She isn't herself today." Then Ms. Leigh says good night, goes in, and takes a shower. Exit Ms. Leigh. "A boy's best friend is his mother." After Leigh's disappearance, people come looking for her, like her boyfriend, Gavin; her sister, played by Vera Miles; and a private detective, played by Martin Balsam. And the fun continues.

People never forget how scary and disturbing the picture is. A lot of people still have trouble taking a shower because of it. But if you are looking for blood and gore, go elsewhere; rent "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" or one of the "Friday the 13th" entries, instead. "Psycho" has about two minutes of real violence in it, total. Yet they are the most memorable couple of minutes of violence in film history. So Hitch was a magician as well as a director. He did it all with mirrors, trick shots, illusion. The viewer comes away swearing he has seen more than he has actually seen. For instance, at no point in the film do we ever see a knife enter a body.

It is all done with motion, quick flashes, expert editing, realistic sounds, and music. Yes, let us not forget the music, a riveting score by Bernard Herrmann, without which the film would lose about half its intensity. "Psycho" is probably the best example in cinema of the effectiveness of music to bolster thought and action. What it comes down to is that "Psycho" is so good at creating tension and uncertainty that when the real jolts do come, they are more shocking for the build up. Consider, too, that Hitchcock made the film purposely in black and white because he thought it would be too gory in color! Then compare that to the endless, senseless, and ultimately mind-numbing mayhem in most recent horror flicks.

According to many actors who worked with Hitchcock, the director was never particularly concerned with the acting in his pictures. He was more of a technician, they say. He knew exactly what he wanted actors to do, and he expected them to do it. In fact, most of the acting in "Psycho is, indeed, perfunctory. True, Janet Leigh got an Oscar nomination for Supporting Actress, but it is really Tony Perkins everyone remembers. His performance is indelible. Almost every school kid knows Norman Bates, even if the kid has never been allowed to see the movie. But aside from Perkins, the acting is just good enough to serve the picture and serve it well.

Basically, "Psycho" is a director's film. It is Hitchcock all the way, suspense with a tongue firmly in cheek. Who would have had the audacity, for example, to kill off the person who is presumably the main character less than halfway through the picture, and then start virtually a new plot with a new protagonist? Quentin Tarantino killed off a main character in "Pulp Fiction" halfway through. Where do you suppose he got the idea?

Video:
On DVD the picture quality is very good. The film stock shows signs of wear during the opening credits, but once the story begins the print looks OK--crisp, clean, and well delineated, as only black-an-white film stock seems capable of. And the widescreen presentation provides glimpses of things I had long forgotten. Minor moiré effects and some small graininess are the only drawbacks. Universal Home Video have come a long way since their days of pan-and-scan only.

Audio:
On occasion there is some small background noise in the Dolby Digital 2.0 monaural soundtrack, but the soncis, too, are generally fine in their definition and clarity. I found the overall tonal balance to be a bit bright and hard, but, if you think about it, that's probably an advantage in this film.

Extras:
In terms of bonus materials, the dual-layered disc's main feature is a ninety-some minute documentary that answers most of the questions a person ever might want to know about the making of "Psycho." It contains present-day interviews with some of the stars and filmmakers, including Janet Leigh and screenwriter Joseph Stefano. Trivia note: "Psycho" was the first movie to show a toilet and a toilet flushing on screen! Bizarre. The listing in the booklet of several additional items, like lobby cards, posters, production photographs, etc., I thought was misleading because I could not find them the first time around. However, they are, indeed, included and can be accessed by clicking on the "Menu" button at the bottom of the page, a button I assumed returned one to the Main Menu but, in fact, moves one on to additional bonus materials. However, the biggest delight for me, besides the picture, was seeing the theatrical trailer again. Hitchcock, a well-recognized celebrity from his days as host of his own TV series, takes us on a tour of the Bates Motel and adjoining house, and his dry wit is a joy forever.

Parting Thoughts:
"Psycho" is not a great film for showing off one's home theater. It is simply a great film. No serious cinema library can be complete without it.