Happy Mother’s Day! Let’s talk about “Psycho.”
At this point, it almost feels pointless to talk about a movie that has been analyzed to death and spawned a sprawling franchise. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film Pyscho really is one of those films that anyone who likes movies is well aware of. So rather than talk about the film itself, I’d like to talk a bit more about the cultural impact of the film and its importance as a piece of cinematic history. And yes, there will be spoilers. But this movie came out over 50 years ago, so really, get on the train if you haven’t seen it by now.
I really should give a quick plot summary, as a refresher. Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) pulls a scheme at work and runs away with stolen money, on the way to meet her love, Sam. On the road, she pulls over at the Bates Motel to rest up, where she meets Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). One thing leads to another, Crane gets stabbed in the shower by Bates’ overbearing and conservative mother. Yup, the main protagonist got killed off not even halfway through the movie. Twist one. Eventually, Crane’s disappearance gets police attention, and the concern of Sam and Crane’s sister. Various clues bring them to the Bates Motel, and eventually, the truth comes out. Norman is a mentally ill individual with disassociate identity disorder (DID), who lapses into his mother’s personality out of guilt for having killed her 10 years prior. And that’s twist…
