Psycho

Psycho kann man nicht als Vertreter eines Genres bewerten oder als einen Film, bei dem die Angst der Zuschauer*innen mit Sternen gemessen werden kann. Psycho hat es verdient, als Beispiel für die Möglichkeiten der Film-Kunst bewertet zu werden. Als Beispiel der genialen Kreativität von Alfred Hitchcock. Und auf diesem Weg kann man nur zu einem Schluss kommen – Psycho ist kein Film, es ist ein Überfilm. Es steht an erster Stelle, erst dann kommen Filme, die man mit Sternen bewerten kann – je nach dem, wie gelungen sie sind. ___ Stellen wir uns vor, dass der Pinsel eines Malers X Möglichkeiten der Bewegung, der Neigung zur Leinwand und der Intensität der Berührung der Leinwand hat. Die Film-Regie, die Arbeit mit den Film-Verfahren und mit dem Publikum haben auch ihre Möglichkeiten. Hitchcock hat diese X Möglichkeiten, mit denen bis dahin andere Autoren gearbeitet haben, gezähmt, er hat mit ihnen lächelnd jongliert und eine neue Palette der Möglichkeiten XYZ geschaffen. Die Film-Arbeit ist eine Wissenschaft. Wer und wann wird ein größerer Film-Erfinder als er sein? (07.04.2003)

When I saw Psycho in a packed cinema, it evoked more laughter than horror. It wasn't laughter of relief in response to something shocking, but in response to some now unintentionally funny dialogue and situations towards the end of the film. Times change and what worked 40 or more years ago doesn't have the same power today. I appreciate Hitchcock's great surprise for the uninitiated (the famous shower scene and its completely unexpected consequence) and the shocking twist. The black-and-white cinematography is also excellent, and the realities of where the film takes place are impressive. But overall, Hitchcock's most famous film didn't leave a deep mark on me. Just because it was made by the great Master himself, I won't waste a full rating. From a historical point of view, five stars. From a purely subjective point of view and overall emotional experience, a decent four stars. (24.08.2003)

It’s such a shame that this film’s twist is so profane today, the experience would have been much greater without knowing it. What surprised me a little is that it was the bathroom scene the one that became the most famous, I think the one of the attack at the stairs is a lot better – it’s one of the best and most terrifying attacks on film I’ve ever seen. Basically, it manages to precisely capture the instant between the reveal of the attacker and the attack itself, thus saving both the moment of surprise and the moment of tension. It’s like when, in a fraction of a second, you notice that the person who has just started running towards you is holding a knife. Yeah, and before I forget, Psycho made me realise what is that thing that often bothers me in old films, that characters driving a car shot from the front turn the steering wheel too much :-) 90% (05.01.2009)

I'll preface this with the fact that it's a better 3 stars. Where this movie wins is the music. I watched it in the cinema, with my classmates around me, and quite a few of them flinched in horror at the murder of the private eye. But that's mostly because of the music. Unfortunately, it didn’t fire me up, which is definitely a shame. And the other problem was that it was clear to me almost from the beginning what the ending was going to be. But I think this film belongs in the "must-see" column, so I don't regret going to see it at all as part of Project 100. But the last scene (before the credits jump in), that was really awesome. (18.12.2009)

Film delicacy, which belongs to the golden treasury of world cinematography and if Hitchcock hadn't filmed anything else, he still deserved to have a marble monument carved for him. The shower scene or the fall down the stairs are for me a symbol of perfect direction, and the slowly rotating chair in the basement is a symbol of horror as a distinct genre. Excellent performance by Perkins, who was never able to surpass his performance and actually never got out of the role of the deranged Norman. The ingredients in this film are balanced in such a way that a delicacy was created... The incredibly impactful music is also worth mentioning. Overall impression 100%. (06.05.2007)

Alfred Hitchcock is a master at creating a dark atmosphere, the constant rain, black and white composition, the old house, and a few shots of a heavily clouded sky literally predicts evil, accompanied by brilliant music. Overall, this film was revolutionary for its time and something unseen. Today? The power and shock have somewhat diminished, times are changing after all, but even after all these years, this film still has something special. (27.04.2005)

Endlich habe ich Psycho richtig kennengelernt! Richtig deshalb, weil dieser Film so bekannt ist, dass ich nach all den Ausschnitten und Fotos, die ich gesehen habe, nach all den Fernsehdokumentarfilmen, Absätzen in Büchern und Zeitschriften und den Songtiteln von Herrmanns extra wildem Soundtrack das Gefühl hatte, ihn schon lange zu kennen. Und weil eine der notorisch bekannten Sachen auch die Pointe ist, hatte ich – trotz meiner Bewunderung für den größten Meister der Spannung – keine große Lust, mir Psycho anzuschauen. Hey, die Blicke können Sie sich sparen, jeder macht Fehler. Gestern habe ich aber Psycho genossen. Sogar im Kino. Die kichernden Zuschauer*innen, die den Film wahrscheinlich schon zum hundertsten Mal gesehen haben, habe ich gar nicht wahrgenommen. Der Film hat mich völlig in seinen Bann gezogen. Viele Momente, die ich nicht kannte und die mir wahrscheinlich am besten gefallen haben, haben mich sehr angenehm überrascht – vor allem das Auto, welches ins Moor (nicht) versinkt, und der Privatdetektiv auf der Treppe (bei dieser Szene hatte ich fast einen Herzinfarkt). Was soll ich sagen, Psycho gehört zu den Filmen, die einen sechsten Stern verdient hätten. (19.02.2013)

Hitchcock was a peculiar and unique personality, the likes of which will probably never be born again. His Psycho is an example of perfect symbiosis between direction, cinematography and music, which leaves such a strong and deep impression that the viewer is forced to replay the story over and over again long after its end. And what comes to mind is perhaps not even necessary to repeat. Firstly, the chilling and disturbing atmosphere that stretches across the frame like a morning mist over a calm pond. Secondly, Bernard Herrmann's legendary score, which perhaps couldn't have been better and is the main reason why the famous bathroom scene is still considered a symbol of flawless horror. And finally, the truly insane Anthony Perkins and the aforementioned cinematography, thanks to which even the sight of a lonely dark house causes unpleasant chills. Yet, I hesitate to give a full rating. The ravages of time have taken their toll and Hitchcock's signature, however admirable and refined, will never represent my ideal, not only in film, but in horror as well. (05.10.2012)

Somehow I'm getting lost here in the flood of "immortal", "classic", and "timeless". I mean, Psycho has undeniable value considering when it was made, but for all intents and purposes it's now just an outdated entertainment artifact. The script scrapes its dialogue from the bottom, the acting and general direction of the actors is severely laughable (apart from Anthony Perkins, who is quite out of step with the production of the time in both his performance and appearance), the early identification of the killer takes the edge off the scare, and the editing is downright prehistoric. The interesting reveal and cinematography were enjoyable, plus I believe that to experience Psycho in its time would be pretty psycho, but nowadays the film operates on significantly different algorithms. (16.04.2012)