Psycho (1960)

One of Alfred Hitchcock’s most iconic films, this film became almost an instant classic when it was released in 1960, and still continues to scare and shock audiences today.

Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) works for a real estate agent in Phoenix, Arizona. Her boyfriend, Sam Loomis (John Gavin) lives and works in California, so the two of them are not able to see each other as often as either of them would like.

One afternoon, after spending one of their few available lunch hours together, Marion returns to work to find a client meeting with her boss who is purchasing a house as a wedding present for his daughter.

The client is paying in cash - forty thousand dollars - which is far more money than Marion’s boss feels comfortable leaving in the office safe over the weekend.

He asks Marion to take the money to the bank, and leave it in their safety deposit box. However, Marion instead takes the cash and goes on a road trip, planning to show up on Sam’s doorstep and start a new life with him.

The famous shower scene: Marion Crane (Janet Leigh).

One rainy night, after leaving the main highway, Marion pulls into a secluded motel - Bates Motel - and books a room for the night.

She meets - and has dinner and an interesting talk - with the proprietor of the motel, an eccentric young man named Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). She also sees - from a distance - an elderly woman in the window of Norman’s house.

Norman tells her that the woman is his elderly, invalid mother, a controlling woman he wishes in many ways he could be free from, but she is far too controlling, and also needs his constant care.

As Marion is taking a shower later that night, Mrs. Bates enters the bathroom, and in a fit of jealous rage, repeatedly stabs Marion, leaving her dead on the bathroom floor.

Norman - as always - is left to clean up his mother’s mess, and he disposed of the body, and all evidence that Marion was ever in the room at all.

Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins).

When Marion doesn’t turn up to work after the weekend, her sister Lila (Vera Miles) hires a private investigator named Arbogast (Martin Balsam) to track her down. But his job isn’t going to be easy, because Norman is far too protective of his mother, and his mother is far too crazy to be taken without a fight.

The screenplay, written by Joseph Stefano, and based on the novel by Robert Bloch, is absolutely chilling. Every character is exceptionally well written, with plenty of internal and external conflicts. The plot is filled with enough twists and turns to keep audiences on the edge of their seat from beginning to end, particularly in the hands of an expert filmmaker such as Alfred Hitchcock.

If you’ve seen any of Hitchcock’s other films - or indeed this one - you’ll know that nothing is ever truly as it seems, and that the film is filled with incredibly intelligent subtext. And this film has both of those in spades. I won’t say any more - just in case you haven’t seen it yet - though the film has been around for long enough, and indeed the novel before it, to have entered into popular culture and the general zeitgeist in many ways.

John L. Russell’s cinematography is also exceptional. The film is shot in black and white, despite the fact that films had been made in colour for many years before its release. Hitchcock felt that the violence would be too graphic if shown in colour, and opted for black and white instead, which feels like the best decision to my mind. The use of black and white also provides additional opportunity for the use of light and shadow - and the contrast therein - and this is used to full effect throughout.

Det. Arbogast (Martin Balsam).

Perhaps one of the most memorable and impressive parts of this film is Bernard Herrmann’s score. The score is performed entirely by strings - violins, violas, cellos and contrabasses - which is not something you often find in films. But in the case of this film, it works incredibly well. Herrmann is an absolute genius, and the ways he uses sound and both the limitations and extended abilities of string instruments is incredible. For the most part, music is used to underline the psychological nature of the film, rather than the physical or technical functions, highlighting the psychological nature of the plot and the characters.

The performances of the cast are equally as exceptional. Anthony Perkins in particular is brilliant as Norman Bates, a character whose mood can change in the blink of an eye. This is without a doubt one of the most memorable characters of his career, and only under the direction of Hitchcock has it been so expertly portrayed.

Alfred Hitchcock has made an absolutely brilliant film here, one that will stay with you for long after its chilling conclusion. Even having studied this film in depth in secondary school, it still doesn’t fail to impress me, and also to terrify me in every thrilling moment. If you haven’t seen it yet, you absolutely must watch it as soon as possible, if for no other reason than to see how great cinema ought to be made.

10 out of 10.

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Based on the novel by John Godey, this film follows a kidnapping and extortion attempt on the busy New York subway system.

A lieutenant with the New York Transit Authority Police, Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) thinks today is just going to be another day at work. And for most of the day, it is.

Until word comes to him that one of the trains has stopped moving between two stations, and has been sitting idle for several minutes. Attempts to radio the driver have proved unsuccessful.

Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau).

When all of a sudden, a response comes over the intercom. The train has been hijacked by four heavily-armed men, and the passengers on the one carriage they have taken are being held hostage.

The men, with colour-themed code names, ringleader Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw), former train driver Mr. Green (Martin Balsam), Mr. Grey (Hector Elizondo) and trigger-happy Mr. Brown (Earl Hindman) are demanding the city of New York deliver one million dollars in non-consecutive, unmarked bills within one hour. For every minute the money is late, they will kill one of the hostages.

Now Garber, along with colleague Rico Patrone (Jerry Stiller), and the might of the entire NYPD and Transit Authority, must race against time to keep the madmen placated for long enough to free the hostages and bring the criminals to justice.

Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw).

The screenplay, written by Peter Stone from Godey's novel, masquerades as a thriller but seems to drag more than a train with its brakes left on. The film runs for 104 minutes, but it feels like so much longer. With the exception of one three-minute sequence towards the end, there is little to no movement or suspense. There is plenty of action, but it feels far too slow to be called a thriller, certainly a fast-paced thriller.

David Shire's music, when it is used, is fairly traditional. There is nothing wrong with the score - it works just fine with the action and apparent rising tension - and his instrumentation is quite appropriate throughout.

The cinematography is quite good, however. Owen Roizman has a good understanding of light and dark, and contrasts them well, particularly in the long sequences set on the train carriage. For the majority of the film, the train is stationary in an underground tunnel, with very low light coming in from outside the carriage, and this environment is captured with great skill.

Mr. Grey (Hector Elizondo) surveying the would-be hostages.

The cast performances are a little disappointing. Even seasoned greats like Matthau, Shaw and Stiller seem to merely be delivering the lines for each scene, with very little feeling or emotion behind them. There is little to no sense of dread conveyed by any of the cast, other than periodic screams from the subway passengers, which feels a little forced.

Director Joseph Sargent seems to have bitten off a lot more than he can chew with this film, which doesn't seem to capture the tension or suspense of the novel. (Note: The film was remade in 2009, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta. This remake - which I will be reviewing in due course - seems to do a much better job of keeping the suspense throughout, and actually keeping the audience interested). This film is in my collection - for the simple reason it is the original from which the remake was born - but I don't think I will be watching it again any time soon.

3 1/2 out of 10.