What's it about? Adapted from the novel of the same name by Robert Bloch which in turn was inspired by real life serial killer Ed Gein, Psycho begins with Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) embezzling $4,000 from her office and fleeing the city, where she ends up hiding out in the secluded Bates Motel, run by Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins). Bates has a few secrets of his own, not to mention some deviant tendencies which will prove fatal to the motel's residents.What makes it groundbreaking? Many of the groundbreaking elements found in Psycho can be attributed to the erosion of the Production Code, which allowed Alfred Hitchcock to explore the twisted nature of his antagonist in a way which previously would have been impossible. The infamous shower scene is one of the most iconic in movie history, but it is Hitchcock's masterful approach to mise en scene throughout which makes this not only the best "slasher" movies but also a true masterpiece in its own right. Even the promotion of the film was groundbreaking, with Hitchcock buying up every copy of the novel and shrouding the project in near-impenetrable secrecy.
