Psycho

I have never been able to sit through a horror movie before, my heart racing upon hearing the first clashing chords of music.  The soundtrack of “Psycho” definitely made the movie scary to watch, as the actual violent scenes were fake and unrealistic.  I have been familiarized with the music of psycho since Bernard Herrmann is my great-great uncle.  I have seen the original scores of music from “Psycho”, which provided me with a greater appreciation for the film.  I enjoyed the resolution of Marion’s disappearance at the end of the movie, differing from “The Crying of Lot 49” where there is no closure.  The psychiatrist’s analysis of Norman’s split personality disorder explained his refusal to allow anyone to speak to his mother, and why there is no close-up of his mother throughout the movie.  Instead, the audience would hear conversations between Norman and his mother, but not see them.  The conversation was occurring inside Norman’s head, as he is a medically-diagnosed “psycho”.  

The two-fold mystery plot was interesting: 1) the reason for Marion stealing $40,000 and disappearing; 2) proving Norman’s  a sociopathic murderer.  The first mystery, Marion stealing the money, caused her to leave town and arrive at Bates Motel, spurring the second mystery.  I enjoyed how there are clues of Norman’s guilt throughout the movie, however each hint is subtle.  For example, his fascination with taxidermy, loneliness at the motel, and unclear story about Marion’s stay at the motel to Milton Arbogast, characterize Norman as suspicious.  However, his guilt is not revealed until the end of the movie.  

The filming of the movie was interesting.  The close-ups of the character’s faces created a sense of fear and uncertainty.  The plot was definitely unrealistic, as Norman’s mother’s death was publicized.  So, it does not make sense that Milton Arbogast, a local investigator, would be naive to her death.  However, “Psycho” was an influential movie for the mystery genre, inspiring the Netflix series “Bates Motel”.  I started watching “Bates Motel”, and there are obvious similarities between the Netflix show and “Psycho”: the setting, the odd relationship between Norman (the protagonist of the Netflix show) and his mother, and Norman’s awkward personality.  Even though I will probably not watch another horror movie anytime soon, I am glad that I was able to watch “Psycho”, as it is a classic movie that all people should see.