Psycho (1960)

It’s very hard to find a director who has made three exceptional films in three years, much less three exceptional films over any amount of time.  1958 brought the tragic romantic thriller Vertigo and 1959 gave an aggregation of Hitchcock’s “Wrong Man” oeuvre with a career best North by Northwest.  With solid stories, scores, credit sequences, action, mystery, and even humor, they stood out among the rest of Hitch’s considerable filmography.   What could possibly have a chance of originality after all this?

It comes in the form of one man named Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins in a career best even without regarding the lack of other options) in the horror classic Psycho.  Even if you’re a cinebriate novice at best, chances are you’ve at least heard of the film and are aware of both the iconic shower scene and its accompanying music (again, and at the risk of sounding like a shitty record, the great composer Bernard Herman).   The Master of Suspense famously started a promotional campaign of sorts that stopped late movie goers from entering the cinema so as to avoid ruining a major shocks ~45 minutes into the film.  As such and in respect to it, I’ll avoid spilling out many other plot details (even artwork in this post is meant to avoid spoilers) except that Janet Leigh is also serviceable along with Perkins as the “main” character Marion Crane (watch the movie to find out what the quotes are for… and if you’re smart, I’m sorry for already ruining it for you).

With North by Northwest servicing up a solid dose of entertainment, Hitch was apparently ready to delve out the dread once again, except this time in such revolutionary fashion.  Traits are consistent here with some of his more recent previous films, including a blonde at the center, Herman score, mystery, intrigue and the MacGuffin (though not obvious, and almost something anybody would want: a bag of money).  Otherwise, he creates a truly gritty atmosphere with black and white cinematography, seedy (for the time) sex scenes, and a really dank motel that even its caretaker Norman Bates thinks is creepy.  The low budget doesn’t hurt the feel of grime (and neither did it hurt Hitch’s pockets when this film become a full fledged phenomenon).

Again, if you really haven’t seen this, to describe more of the film would only take away from the potential surprises that lay ahead (and there are a multitude of points for candidates).  Just know that it is a fairly unique entity in Hitch’s filmography, and that is saying something.

Again again, if you really haven’t seen this, get it done now!  Instead of checking the trailer, listen to this piece of score below.    

Vertigo (1958)

We come to it at last!  No more waiting, no more suspense (aka waiting for the bomb to explode), and plenty more vibrant colors then we’ve seen previously in films by the Master of Suspense!  Apparently regarded as a better and better film with time (Sight And Sound’s 2012 poll of directors, writers and critics worldwide had it at #1 among voters) Vertigo was altogether off of my radar besides such aspects as the iconic love theme, the infamous dolly-in, zoom-out effect (or vice versa) and notes from family that it was colorful (whether that meant literally or figuratively was unknown to me until now).  After 13 posts on films made before this “masterpiece” however, I’ve finally come to the point where I view what Hitchcock could do at his arguable apex.  If I were able to classify my feelings as symptoms of Vertigo : early enamoration with only slighty lessened optimism after 2 hours.

Let me start by elaborating on that first symptom regarding enamoration (which if not a word, should be): wowza (this has less of a chance of being a real word… but it should be as well)!  The opening credit sequence is amazingly, surprisingly, stupendously so much more cinematic than that of Hitch's previous films (and by extension many others) that my jaw was literally dropped possibly earlier on than in any other films.  You will find no traditional credits sequence (i.e. including lack of apparent book pages full of actors and crew) but you will see visuals that seem to go far beyond 1958 in regards to their uniqueness.  It could be this remastered Blu-ray (via the special features, apparently Universal put in 2 years and 1 million buck to restore the physically decrepit negative) but other movies get their cleaning time too and yet this looks vastly superior.  Overall, if I was otherwise uninformed it appears to be a film from the 1978 rather than 1958.  The music doesn’t hurt either; backing the awe-inspiring void on the screen full of yearning, haunting, and love all at once, this sequence leads us to a film so much more natural (and cinematic at the same time) than most films before and many after.

If Hitch had phases during his career, this is Phase III (that is if Marvel Phase III ends up being the best) with The Man Who Knew Too Much and Rear Window being soft beginnings to the epoch.  It’s unbelievable that it was made only 2 years after the former, especially as besides rear screen projection and cinematography, so many of his regular story, plot points, and other cinematic traits aren’t necessarily present.  Here he seems to go above and beyond his already experienced and sharpened skills into a realm of nirvana for cinema.  I’m so struck that there needs to be a new term like…Cinemana?  

Probably not, but that is fairly representative of how it felt, and made me realize how I feel about my most favorite movies: important aspects such as story and visuals are in place, but all other combined aspects of the film lead to something that goes far beyond the first two points. It transcends these traditional defaults.  So much so, that it almost becomes secondary to everything surrounding the story (and doesn’t work for everyone, Michael Bay).

Still even in my blissful state, I can/need to dig into some of the details of this standout by Hitch:

• San Francisco is ideal setting: with so many driving scenes, the hills obstruct the pursuit and keep for a mysterious ride
• Acting by Stewart was expectedly, but the unknown (to me ) Novak excelled
• Music was great (#already covered)
• Colors were vibrant, with only issue being almost too vibrant dream sequence (maybe title should’ve been Technicolor Dream Boat)

I wish I had more, but this really is a superior oddity in the director’s filmography (and I’m still reflecting on how it made me feel).  As the film progresses, I have to be honest that I was distracted trying to decipher why so many cinephiles have recently thought this film was greater than Citizen Kane.  I can’t say I agree at the moment, but can certainly see reasons why the propose it.  He rises above all of his usual traits – the McGuffin, the mystery, the innocent man, even the suspense to a substantial degree – substituting it with romance, obsession, and how both completely overtake the main character. 

I’ve just realized that I completely skipped over what the plot even was!  As you may be able to gather from the rest of the post, that may just be one of the unique effects of Vertigo.

Rope (1948)

Having almost 10 films by the Master of Suspense under my belt, I had planned to continue on into those from the 1950s and beyond.  However I’ve now backtracked slightly into 40s with Shadow of a Doubt, and this little experiment he performed a few years later.  Rope was a film I had already seen once before, but now I was better able to examine as opposed to being slightly wowed by this unique film infamous for being completed in “one” take. 

Brandon and Phillip have just murdered a supposedly close friend (for those cinebriates out there, they really don’t appreciate that he likes Whiskey, so best to drink fine wine here for your own saftey) and with a warped sense of humor have hid the body at a party attended by the victim’s family and friends.  While Brandon is perfectly comfortable with this willing to risk exposure for excitement, Phillip is struggling with the guilt and hardly has the misguided courage Brandon does.  With a brilliant mentor in attendance who has known the two since they were kids, what on the surface seems a dull get-together for the high class turns slowly into a fairly suspenseful real-time experience, all due to our indirect voyeurism. 

Many older films can’t be completely timeless (poor video quality, clichés the modern audience has come to associate with dated cinema, etc.) but one area where this film stands out is the technique used to hide cuts (Hitch couldn't completely have a seamless take even if he wanted to as the camera wouldn't hold enough film).  This being completed roughly 66 years ago, you can’t help but be in awe of the technique as it is something still not seen often today.  This is not the all-encompassing reason for Rope standing the test of time, but it certainly helps. 

Right away you can see similarities to previous films of the Master of Suspense, including the even more claustrophobic Lifeboat, a very effective paranoid WWII thriller all on the eponymous craft.  Also both involve Hume Cronyn as he starred in that film and wrote this.  Shadow of a Doubt may come to mind with Rope acting as an almost spiritual spinoff, with Brandon and Phillip acting as Young Charley's father and his friend (Another Hume connection as he played that character!) would in another life, carrying out their perverted obsession with murder.

 

For this, my second round with the film, I certainly found issues unseen previously, including the acting by John Dall (who plays Brandon). Philip is certainly a guilt-ridden woose, but understandably so while Brandon’s eager excitement is overly exaggerated in the opening scenes (too much emphasis on stuttered breathing).  All I see is a performer at first, though we eventually understand a slight relevant to the plot as James Stewart’s character mentions that Brandon is always hiding something when in that physical state. 

Also, there are moments where I can't help but not see a good reason for doing it in one simulated take (cuts are made in darkness of a character’s back), except for a few fairly wonderful moments.  One that comes to mind is Brandon swinging the titular rope (murder weapon) as he takes it to the kitchen.  The maid comes out and the door swings back and forth behind her, with one instance showcasing a brief moment of Brandon in ecstasy as he places the murder weapon in the drawer for all to see.  Just as well, because we become so used to a continuous and fluid shot, this technique is effective for the surprising hard cut hard cut in the center of the film during a moment of realization by the mentor Rupert (James Stewart, in his first of many Hitchcock film, playing a great supporting character whose reputation being discussed much before he is onscreen adds to the charisma when he does show up).  Without the ongoing take, the cut would be nowhere near as effective or poignant.  

An experiment to be sure, but overall an effective one that keeps with the Master’s style, and even better showcases the exceptional talents of Hume who can write and act.  It also deftly moves from point to point in conversation and plot, which is fairly impressive in this day and age.

If you don’t like that sort of thing though, the new Transformers film is in theaters now.