Movie Review: Psycho (1960)

Psycho (1960)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles

When it comes to portraying the dark corners of the human psyche, no film maker is more skilful than the master himself - Alfred Hitchcock. Nearly all of his films have characters who are either running away from a murky past or possess an inclination towards committing crime. Psycho too is an ingeniously crafted suspense drama which deals with one, or rather two such characters. 

The first one is Marion Crane(Janet Leigh), an average young lady who, in a moment of misjudgement, steals money from the bank where she works and sets off. She escapes from the city, intermittently suffering pangs of guilt, and finally reaches the Bates Motel. Enter the second shady character of the story, Norman Bates. His motel business is more or less dormant due to the construction of a new highway. He lives a lonely life with his mother, who comes across as quite ill-tempered and does not seem to be on good terms with her son. However, Norman still loves her and is repulsed by Marion's suggestion of Norman starting a new life for himself after leaving his mother in 'some place'. In a disturbing turn of events, Marion is killed moments later in the famous 'shower scene' by Norman's mother. Norman, in a bid to protect his mother, cleans up the crime scene and disposes off Marion's body. But he gets into trouble when a detective lands up at his motel to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Marion Crane. As the mystery deepens, it becomes increasingly evident that the key to solving the mystery lies with Norman's mother who lives in the cottage next to the motel. But it is not as simple as it seems. As the investigations reach fever-pitch, another murder takes place leading to a shocking revelation in the climax.

Anthony Perkins delivers a legendary performance, possibly one of the best-ever in American cinema, as Norman Bates, a person caught between his desires as a normal young man and his responsibilities towards his mother. It is a very complicated, multi-dimensional role, but Perkins excels in the most extraordinary manner. When his character is introduced, he seems like any other average guy, but as we get to know him better through his conversation with Crane, we begin to see traits we hadn't before. In fact, this whole sequence in which he talks to Crane at length about his life is a treat to watch in terms of the histrionics at display. The slight alterations in his tone of voice as he talks about stuffing birds, his disconcerted expression when asked about friends and the sudden change in demeanour when the conversation veers towards his mother elevate the apparently normal scene to gargantuan levels. Janet Leigh also does well in her role of the damsel-in-distress. She is particularly good in the scenes where she shares screen space with Perkins.

The scene in which Perkins is interrogated by the detective is also noteworthy for its execution and of course, acting. The detective is initially unsuspecting, but as he tries to dig deeper, Bates' failure to hide his nervousness makes him smell something sinister. Another scene which stands out is the final scene - the monologue by Bates - elaborating any further on which would mean spoiling the final plot twist.

Hitchcock is in complete control throughout the running time. Not only is the plot filled with thrilling twists and turns, Hitchcock plants an inherent twist in narrative structure itself. As the movie begins, the viewer gets the impression that it mgiht be a story a theft gone dangerously wrong, however, the plot changes tracks fast with the murder of Crane and ultimately ends up as a character study in human psychology. This fact becomes much more discernible on viewing the film multiple times.

The black and white visuals greatly contribute to the sense of foreboding and morbidity. The Bates cottage could not have looked more ominous and certainly works to create an element of mystery and horror. In fact, most of the horror is coveyed visually - the recurring scenes showing the stairway to the eerie-looking Bates cottage, the image of the mother with a dagger and the severely isolated location of the motel. Such is the genius of the film that it succeeds in scaring the audiences even today despite the absence of any supernautal occurences and without a single drop of blood being shown on screen. 

Grim, dark and unsettling, Psycho is Hitchcock at his macabre best.

Movie Review: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Keir Dullea

Stanley Kubrick’s piece de resistance 2001: A Space Odyssey is a movie that has the ability to mesmerize any person who views cinema as a painting in motion. In this sense, it is quite similar to Kubrick’s later venture Barry Lyndon. But what sets 2001 apart is the fact that it was perhaps the first-of-its-kind sci-fi movie with state-of-the-art special effects and accurate detailing.

The film begins with what arguably is the best opening scene in movie history ever backed by the musical piece Also Spach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss. The potent combination of fascinating visuals, which evoke both a sense of awe and a feeling of isolation, and classical music sets the stage for the epic-ness that is to follow in the next two hours. The narrative is divided into four chapters, first of which is Dawn of Man. This chapter deals with trials and tribulations of primitive man and how desperate need necessitates an important discovery - the first stone tool. One significant point to observe is the fact that the discovery of the tool immediately follows the sighting of a strange, black monolith. The story now moves forward to the outer space in the 21st century, where again, astronauts encounter an identical monolith buried beneath the surface of the moon, which seems to indicate that some unknown force is driving the process of human evolution. Now comes the most enthralling episode of the movie involving some crew members on a mission to Jupiter in a fully automated spacecraft. The supercomputer in control of the spacecraft is HAL9000, a machine which is different from man only because it is incapable of feeling any emotion, or is it? Following a technical snag, HAL begins to ‘feel’ that the crew members do not trust its abilities and could try to deactivate it. And it reacts in the only manner it could - by eliminating the crew members one by one. However, Dave Bowman (Keir Dullea) somehow manages to deactivate HAL, thereby ensuring his safety. But with a return trip to Earth being impossible, he decides to go further ahead(to infinity and beyond?). It is here that the movie takes a surrealistic turn and Bowman finally reaches the pinnacle of human evolution - immortality.

Very few filmmakers have attempted to delve into so many diverse themes in a single feature, let alone be successful at it. This speaks volumes about the level of film making by Kubrick. In fact, Kubrick has possibly used the medium of cinema to put forth some of his opinions on religion and philosophy. The monolith, which seems to be the guiding force behind evolution, could be Kubrick’s interpretation of God or a mysterious divine power. The movie also questions the power and control of man over the machines he has developed himself, also hinting at the fact that a time could come when machines dominate the humans. The ending sequence, which shows Bowman attaining immortality, could actually be more symbolic than realistic.

Technically, the movie is top-notch. The jump-cut scene at the end of Dawn of Man, by means of which the narrative moves forward by over a million years, has rightfully achieved iconic status. The special effects created more than forty years ago so effectively convey the isolation and barrenness of outer space. The background score, essentially a collection of classical music, contributes significantly in carrying the plot forward since there is not much of dialogue.  Also, it adds to the overall grandeur of the movie.

2001 is the kind of movie you can watch many a time, and each time it would provide you with enough food for thought and discussion on topics as wide-ranging as religion, existence of God, evolution, the relationship between man and machine and immortality. For this reason alone, I hold this work of art in very high regard. Must watch for all lovers of meaningful cinema!

Movie Review: The Dark Knight (2008)

The Dark Knight (2008)
Director: Christopher Nolan
Cast: Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal

The Dark Knight is the follow-up to the well-received Batman Begins(2005), a movie which reinvigorated the floundering Batman franchisee by introducing a generous dose of realism into the story revolving around the origin of the masked vigilante. The sequel manages to achieve a rare feat of not just living upto the expectations created by the success of Begins, but also outshines its predecessor by a good margin.

The Gotham created by Nolan in this movie is not as dark and gloomy as it was in Begins. Probably, the efforts of Batman have started to show positive results, but peace and order are never permanent in the world of Batman. Enter Joker, an anarchist to the core, with scant respect for human life, law and order. The movie starts off with a bank robbery which establishes Joker as a repulsive sociopath, one who is always playing games with the lives of others. His true intentions however, are not made clear. Meanwhile, Harvey Dent takes over as the new DA, and immediately sets about the task of ridding Gotham streets of crime. On the other hand, Bruce Wayne is conflicted between his responsibilities as the guardian of Gotham and his yearning for a normal life with Rachel. He ponders about the possibility of hanging up his boots as he begins to see in Harvey Dent someone who can take over the reins from him. With the mob having their backs to the wall, they turn to Joker to put an end to the threat posed by Batman. What the mob fails to see is the fact that Joker is neither driven by money nor power. His sole purpose is to spread chaos all around. What follows is a series of events which ultimately leads to the death of a significant character, and the emergence of a new villain - Two Face. From then on, Batman wages a lone battle against the forces of evil and chaos, all the while fighting his inner demons as well. But with Joker never being short on deadly tricks, merely overpowering his enemies would not be enough; in order to carry on the hope created by the efforts of Harvey, Gordon and himself, Batman will have to do much more.

Performance-wise, the film comes across as spotless. Much has already been said about the show-stealing act by Heath Ledger, and truly, it is an amazing performance. He lives the character of Joker in the movie with flawless expressions and mannerisms, even perfecting the slightest of nuances. Never before has the experience of watching a 'superhero movie' been so terrifying, and Joker gets all the credit for spreading this menace. Those in doubt should  check out the 'magic-trick' scene. Aaron Eckhart sinks his teeth deep into his character which is extremely well-written, and manages to evoke sympathy as  well as hatred from the viewer. Christian Bale, in the role of the conflicted hero, delivers what is probably the most under-rated performance of his career. The intense, brooding persona of Bruce/Batman may not be as captivating as the Joker, but Bale does whatever the script demands from him and more. Among the supporting actors, Michael Caine and Gary Oldman do a commendable job.

Another aspect which deserves special mention is the editing, particularly in the scenes where multiple events run in parallel, intercutting at crucial junctures. This technique, I have observed, has gradually become the hallmark of Nolan's movies(read The Prestige and Inception). The background score by Hans Zimmer serves well to emphasize the theme of escalation as well as to keep the atmosphere tense in the scenes involving Joker.

The Dark Knight is one of those rare movies which works well on so many different levels. While the billion dollar box office earning of the movie suggests that it was viewed purely as an action entertainer by the majority of the audience, one cannot overlook the fact that the film has a meaningful, deeply layered script which touches upon the subjects of chaos, vigilanteism, corruptibility of human nature, love, loss and sacrifice. The ending, a poetic tragedy, is wonderfully crafted and gives to the movie the feel of an epic. 

It would not be wrong to say that The Dark Knight rises way above being just another comicbook adaptation. And much of the credit should go to Nolan for possessing the vision and creativity to pick up the settings and characters from a comic book and giving them his own realistic spin. The outcome is remarkable and puts the film among the ranks of the greatest crime dramas of Hollywood. Highly recommended!