Two books on Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO were released recently. One is THE MOMENT OF PSYCHO: HOW ALFRED HITCHCOCK TAUGHT AMERICA TO LOVE MURDER, by the renowned film critic David Thomson. The other is THE PSYCHO FILE: A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO HITCHCOCK’S CLASSIC SHOCKER, by the comparatively unknown Joseph W. Smith III.
Smith’s will cost you nearly double the retail price, but whereas Thomson’s book is a slim, overpriced, glorified essay, Smith’s really digs into its subject, giving you more for your money. (Okay, so neither have anything on Stephen Rebello’s excellent ALFRED HITCHCOCK AND THE MAKING OF PSYCHO, but that one’s, like, old.)
Reading Smith’s book is like taking a film class from him, minus the exorbitant per-credit-hour fees, as he breaks PSYCHO down theme by theme, scene by scene, but in a detail that’s fascinating, as opposed to boring. You may want to cue up your DVD and play along, but he has many fine points to discuss, some of which I’d never considered before … and I actually took a Hitchcock course in college.
For example, he refutes Hitchcock’s notion — and critics’ long-held belief — that Norman Bates’ knife never is shown entering Marion Crane’s body, and a screencap proves this. The end subliminal shot of Mother’s skull over Norman’s face is famous, but I’d never noticed the addition of the chain serving as hangman’s noose. And Smith has an interesting parallel to draw between the human eye and the shower head.
The movie’s influence is examined briefly in a closing chapter, as are the various sequels and spin-offs, none of which Smith is all that excited about. Compared to the original, sure, they can’t hold a candle, but on their own, most of them are fun — much like this book-length lesson. —Rod Lott
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- The Alfred Hitchcock Story
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