PsychoAlfred Hitchcock

Plot summary

Psycho is about an office worker Marion Crane who is fed up with her life. She is unable to marry her lover Sam as he has to give his money away in alimony. One day her employer trusts her to take $40,00 to the bank, but instead takes it to start a new life. She leaves town and heads towards California. On her long drive she pulls into a motel owned by a young man who is dominated by his mother.

Basic information

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Released in September 1960 (USA) Budget : $806,947 (estimated) 1961 Oscar nominations

-Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Janet Leigh -Best direction – Alfred Hitchcock 1961 Golden globe best supporting actress – Janet Leigh 1961 Edgar Allen Poe Awards Best motion picture

The cast

Anthony Perkins – Norman Bates

Vera Miles – Lila Crane

Janet Leigh –

Marion Crane

John Gavin – Sam Loomis

Critics

Roger Ebert gave it 4 stars and stated "It wasn't a message that stirred the audiences, nor was it a great performance...they were aroused by pure film.”

It has a IMDB rating of 8.6 stars and users have ‘the best Hitchcock movie? It's definitely one of his best’

NY times said it was ‘low-budget […] minimum complication […] slow paced […] flat denouement’ – so overall in their opinion it was not great, however this is one of the very few negative reviews.

The famous shower murder scene…

How does it fit the thriller genre?

Firstly it contains a lot of crime such as Marion stealing the money and murder

Hitchcock created mystery throughout such as the audience not knowing who the murderer was

Creates variety as there is a female protagonist It has a ‘nightmarish’ feel to it Contains confused identities and manipulations to

make us identify with characters – this makes it a psychological thriller

Extremely complex and even left critics confused