Winner Dec '00

Other Winners & How to Win!

• • •

Psycho

Response in the "Most Over-Rated Horror Film of all Time?" discussion

Posted by: NEILTEJANO

• • •

As for the most over-rated horror flick, my husband (reading over my shoulder) would like to vote for 'Psycho' - the orginal. after years of waiting to see it, he found it was easy to see through and not suspenseful at all.

Psycho certainly hasn't aged well. In order for it to be shocking at all, you have to consider the context of the time period during which it was released.

For instance, we may think nothing of the fact that the film opens with an adulterous pair of lovers in bed in the year 2000. It's no longer a big deal to show a woman only wearing a bra in a movie (hell, they do that on TV now). How about Marion's stealing money from her boss? No longer a big deal. And as for a killer who dresses as a woman but is really a man? Cross-dressing is no longer such a big deal, either.

However, in 1960, audiences surely would view these things in a different fashion.

On top of that, it's no longer a secret that Marion is killed in the shower - that scene is very much a part of the pop culture lexicon. So when she does die, we actually expect it to happen. This is very unfortunate because her early death was such a groundbreaking event in film. Prior to Psycho, no character had ever been established as the main protagonist of a film and then killed off in the first reel (or first third). At the time, no one expected it to happen, nor did people expect it to happen in the way that it happened: in the shower. A shower or bathtub is often a place of refuge for people, where they can be naked both literally and figuratively and remain safe. With Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock exploited the general sense of safety and familiarity people have when showering, which shook people up at the time.

Then, even more groundbreaking, after killing off his supposed heroine, Hitchcock's primary character with which the audience is meant to identify becomes Norman Bates, the killer. Even if only on an unconscious level, the audience relates to Norman Bates: they want to make sure he gets every spot of blood cleaned up, that Marion's car sinks into the pond. (Previously, the audience wanted to see Marion get away with stealing her boss's money, etc.) By having the audience relate to Norman Bates (and Marion), Hitchcock feeds on the dark side of human nature and makes us want to see him get away with it. On an unconscious level, sure, but still very unsettling.

When I initially saw Psycho, I felt the same way as your husband. I thought it was a big disappointment and not scary at all. However, the next day we had a very long discussion of the film in my screenwriting class. And you know what? After that discussion I was completely freaked out.

- NEIL

Talk Back