The conception, production, and release of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is truly a whirlwind story in its own right. With an exceptional cast consisting of Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, and Jessica Biel, Hitchcock is the definition of Oscar bait. Director Sacha Gervasi’s innovative telling of Alfred Hitchcock’s story sets this film apart from the current selection of Hollywood franchises in theatres this month. The film is fairly fast-paced, spanning from the release of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest to the staggered release of Pyscho in the summer of 1960, with Hopkins and Mirren bringing the tumultuous relationship between Hitchcock and his wife Alma to life.
The film begins and ends with Alfred Hitchcock speaking to the audience, explaining how his vision for Pyscho came to be. This introduction is quite a powerful tactic, making the viewer feel a connection to Hitchcock and his story before the film even begins. The film’s second scene is a view into the life of Edward Gain, the murderer and body snatcher that Pyscho’s lead character, Norman Bates, is based on.
Following this scene, Gervasi brings the audience straight into the glitz and glam of 1960s-era Hollywood: the Paramount lot, limousine drivers, chandelier-filled restaurants, and of course, Hitchcock’s home. This is where “Hitch’s”—as he is known among colleagues, friends, and family—idea for Psycho hatches, following a reporter’s comment about the famed director’s age. The scene showcases Hitchcock’s desperate spirit; all he wanted was to make a film that was out of the ordinary, which would shock audiences instead of giving them the normal action and suspense he was known for at the time.
Pyscho was the answer. In the meantime, a friend named Witt (Danny Huston) approaches Hitch’s wife Alma to help him rework a script. Tiring of Hitchcock’s obsession with Psycho, not to mention his difficult attitude, Alma decides to take on the project, creating a rift in her relationship with Hitch.
The love story between Hitchcock’s lead characters is the driving force behind the movie. While the production of Psycho goes on at Paramount with Scarlett Johansson and Jessica Biel playing actors under Hitchock’s direction, the real question is whether Hitch or Alma will be the first to apologize and bring up the issues they are facing in their relationship.
Hitchcock is certainly worth the trip to the movie theatre this holiday season, and offers a glimpse into the famed Hollywood director’s life. As he tells Johansson’s character before filming the famous shower scene in Psycho, “my camera tells the absolute truth,” which must mean that Marion Crane was pretty scared of that bloody knife.
