Pyscho

Take a little money, have a little fun, maybe

Alfred Hitchcock is one the directors I do like, I used to watch a bit from him when he was shown on the television farily frequently a while back. He isn't shown as much these days and I haven't looked for a DVD set, I may be remembering Hitchcock's films better than they actually are. Anyway, onto Pyscho.



In this suspense thriller, Hitchcock does this quite well, and did push the boundaries back in the late 50's and early 60's. We have an office worker whom feels like she hasn't had a fair go in life. So when she is given $40K by her boss to take to the bank, she has other ideas.

She wants to meet her man who is quite a number of hours away, after driving for a number of hours, she decides to rest for the night, and checks into a motel.

The Bates motel, which is managed by a quiet man named Norman. After dinner she goes to her room, and takes the last shower she will ever take. Norman finds the body and we are led to believe that his mother killed her. So he does what he must, he cleans up the crime scene, and dumps the evidence (car, body and cash) in the nearby swamp.

Only one little problem, people are either going to miss the $40K or the woman. The first to make inquiries is her sister, Lila, she manages to track her sisters steps to the Bates hotel. We also have a private investigator looking for the thief that stole $40K.

He also rules out all other motels besides the Bates motel, being a private investigator he goes to the Bates' home in search of Norman's mother, he doesn't survive. So we have another dead person, probably going to arouse someones interest when he doesn't turn up.

In the end Norman is captured holding a knife, wearing his mother's clothes, and a wig. Surprise Norman is arrested.

At the courthouse we learn that Norman murdered his mother and her lover ten years prior out of jealousy. However, he couldn't live with the guilt so dug her up and recreated his mother in his own mind as an alternate personality.

In order to fully bring her ti liet he dressed in her clothes and talked to himself in her voice. This alternate personality doesn't let Norman have any female friends and has killed at least two other women.

This is the film that has "the shower scene" which has been copied or referenced countless times by a lot of other movies. While this movie may not be Hitchcock's best it is certainly up there and a must see.