Hitchcock (2012) Review

Tagline: Behind every Psycho is a great woman.

Hitchcock (2012) Review

 

Alfred Hitchcock is one of the greatest filmmakers of all-time, no question. He dabbled in multiple genres, but later in his career, he decided to remind the world he hadn’t lost his touch even though he was no longer a young director, so he took on Robert Bloch’s novel Psycho, which was inspired by the real-life serial killer Ed Gein, and ended up making not only one of the earliest examples of a slasher film, but one of the most classic horror films in the history of cinema. The film Hitchcock shows the real behind-the-scenes story of how the master of suspense made Psycho and released it, but it also gives some great insights into the man himself and his relationship with his wife Alma Reville.

Anthony Hopkins plays the role of Hitchcock under just enough makeup and prosthetics to make him look like the real Hitch but still allow him to give a great performance under it all. Helen Mirren plays Alma, and the two play well off one another. Hitchcock is a fascinating person, but not overly likable, and Alma offers a good counterbalance. The supporting cast, too, is great, including Scarlett Johansson as Janet Leigh, Psycho’s leading lady, and Toni Collette as Hitchcock’s assistant. Hitchcock is very antagonistic to many of his cast and crew, which he was in real life, but it’s downplayed a bit in this, which is understandable but a little lamentable. 

I don’t know how much of the content of this film is completely true to life, but it is based on the nonfiction book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho. It doesn’t really matter how much of it is real or exaggerated or just plain made up, it makes for a great story nonetheless, and as someone interested in the filmmaking process, I find many of the scenes fascinating. The first edit of the famous shower scene is shot down by the producers for being too graphic, but as Hitch points out, audiences won’t actually see anything, the knife doesn’t even penetrate her body, it’s all through selective shots and editing that it seems like you’re seeing more than you really are. Another part I love is when Hitch is bedridden from overwork and Alma takes over production, deciding how they should shoot the detective falling down the stairs and being killed. She just wants to accomplish the shot, which is funny given that part is now considered one of the best moments in the film, aside from the famous shower scene.

Hitchcock is an interesting and underrated movie about making a movie, as well as a thoughtful examination of the master of suspense himself. It sometimes feels like it breezes through too much material in too short of a time, but that’s a common problem with biographical films of this nature. It still captures enough of the history of Psycho and celebrates it that it should be of interest to anyone who is a fan of that film, a fan of Alfred Hitchcock, or just a fan of how movies are made.