Shot for Shot Directing Made 'Psycho' A Classic

Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" is a masterpiece that redefines the term, "motion picture." It is an example of what a motion picture can be if time is taken to plan every shot from the beginning until the closing credits. It is also an example of how a movie can make us think about our daily lives and gain superstitions about certain mundane habits for many years to come.

Viewers of "Psycho" are initially directed towards believing that the movie is about Marion Crane played by Janet Leigh. She is an adulterous woman who follows up on a momentary temptation to steal money and run. After travelling for a long distance, she stops at the Bates Motel for respite. She meets Norman Bates, the young and attractive caretaker played by Anthony Perkins, and they strike up conversations about his decrepit mother, life, love, and fear.

After taking her leave, Marion heads to her room to take a shower. In those moments, she decides to cleanse herself of her former sins and realizes that her best course of action is to return the money. As she is feeling better about herself, a silhouette of a woman appears in the shower curtain with a knife and slashes her to death.

The story proceeds as a private detective is hired to find Marion. He stumbles across the Bates Motel as well, only to perish by the same woman that killed Marion. Some of Marion's friends go searching for her after not hearing from the detective, and make the shocking discovery that it is not a female who is doing the killing. The final reveal shows that Norman, dressed as his long-dead mother, is actually the killer.

In the beginning, I stated that "Psycho" is truly a motion picture. I would challenge any viewer to turn the volume off while watching. Due to the time that was taken to show all possible details in a shot, and to catch all relevant facial expressions, a viewer would be able to understand a majority of the story without hearing a word. By simply watching the movie pass from frame to frame, multitudes of words will come to mind.

Hitchcock was a genius when it came to switching between types of shots. That expertise comes to full fruition in "Psycho." Every moment that is seen on the screen has a definitive purpose and that is progressed by which type of shot can be seen. While most directors can boast about scenes that were perfectly shot, the Master of Suspense worked the camera magic from beginning to end.

The Shower Scene in "Psycho" is one of the most memorable and recognizable scenes in all of cinema. To this day, there are people that have had points where they were nervous about taking a shower due to this scene. The sound and shadowing that were used in the creation of this scene have transcended normal filmmaking and become a cognitive deterrent for showering in many people's minds. While many movies make us think, there are few that make us permanently change our ways.

Astounding acting, memorable scenes, and precise directing have led "Psycho" to be considered as one of the best examples of art on film. "Psycho" is not a movie to be seen as much as it is to be experienced. If you allow yourself to get lost in the sights and sounds, your other senses will surely take over and you might forget that you are sitting on your couch and not in the middle of the Bates Motel.