As today is the 50th anniversary of Psycho‘s release, I decided to post an essay I recently wrote on the issue of gender control in Hitchcock’s 1960 thriller. Citations mentioning Benshoff and Griffin refer to the book America on Film.

In Hollywood history, only a few directors have managed to establish themselves in a specific genre the way Alfred Hitchcock made himself the “Master of Suspense”. From his earliest films all the way to Family Plot, Hitchcock weaved tales of mystery, terror and sexual desire. The “Hitchcock blonde” can be traced all the way back to The Lodger (1927) where a serial killer stalks blonde women in the London fog. During the 1950’s and 60’s Hitchcock enlisted blondes such as Doris Day, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak and Tippi Hedren to create a level of desire in his films. But in recent years it seems that one iconic film (and its blonde star) have overshadowed Hitchcock’s entire filmography. Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 masterpiece Psycho seemingly begins as the story of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) a woman who is so desperate for happiness that she steals $40,000 to pay of her lover’s debts. After fleeing town she finds herself at the mysterious Bates Motel where it’s owner, a young man named Norman immediately shows interest. Sadly for Marion, Norman’s mother has other plans in mind. Marion is brutally murdered in one of the most iconic scenes in history. With Marion’s sudden disappearance, those attached to her begin to search for the truth and the scary secrets surrounding the Bates Motel begin to come forward. Though Janet Leigh’s character is killed only 47 minutes into Psycho, she, and the film established a new standard for sexuality on screen. In analyzing three key scenes in Psycho, the viewer will be given a revealing look into the visual parameters of women in film, as defined by Benshoff and Griffin.

The first scene being analyzed is also the first scene of the film. Psycho almost immediately fulfills the idea of voyeurism with a slow creep into the window of a Phoenix hotel room. We are immediately introduced to our main character (or so we think) Marion Crane, as she lies on a bed. Standing over her is a half naked man, Sam Loomis (John Gavin). We don’t see his face, only his body. The balance of power shifts three times during the course of the scene. It begins with Sam in control, whenever he moves Marion follows. When Marion jumps off the bed she takes control but is quickly reigned in by Sam’s open arms. After a short discussion Marion regains control by exiting without him when he asks if they can leave together. The scene maintains a rather dark feel until Sam opens the window, upon which we see a p.o.v. shot of Marion’s view of him at the window. Sam is lit to accentuate his body as he holds his arms up to the top of the window and the viewer can immediately feel a sense of objectification by Marion. Though Sam is weakened by his inability to give Marion what she desires (respectability), he still asserts his masculinity by refusing to allow her to live with him in a “one bedroom apartment” behind a tool shop. In what can be looked as an act of feminism, Marion ends the scene by exiting without him. A scene like this shows a shifting dynamic in filmmaking. Unlike scenes in earlier films where the woman has no power at all, Marion’s few moments of control establish her as a strong female character dealing with a male character in a weakened position. This scene is of great importance for Hollywood history. Psycho in many ways shows the deterioration of the Production Code. When censors looked that the first cut they refused to allow two half naked characters to start the film but Alfred Hitchcock fought back and won, exposing the weakness of the censor board.

Once Marion has stolen the money and landed herself at the Bates Motel, there is a scene with the hotel’s disturbing proprietor Norman Bates that challenges gender roles and shows the weak positions of power that Hitchcock gives each character in the film. Marion begins the scene by listening in as Norman fights with his mother. She peers out her window at the menacing house and hears the loud voices coming from it. Afterwards Norman brings some food down to Marion. They settle in his parlor, surrounded by a collection of stuffed birds. Norman alludes to the connection between his birds and his mother, establishing a fetish of control, stemming from his general lack of control in life. The editing of the scene shows a divide between the characters. Only once during the conversation are both characters in the same shot, from then on they are presented in p.o.v. shots of the opposite character. Norman’s weak nature stays steady throughout the scene until Marion suggests that his mother be put into an asylum, at which point his character takes on a whole new level of power. Through Norman’s subtle shift into madness he takes complete control of the scene and pushes Marion into a weak position. The lighting of the scene maintains a darkness that is much stronger than the opening hotel scene. Though three-point lighting is employed, the fill and back lights are both kept at a low level maintaining a contrast on the character’s faces. Marion is shot from a level prospective putting her right in the middle of the screen but Norman is shot from below, presenting him as higher than Marion. This allows his monologue to seem even more powerful. During the course of the scene Marion decides to return to Phoenix and face the consequences of her actions. After she leaves the audience is once again given a voyeuristic moment when Norman spies on her through peephole in his parlor. This scene establishes that she, as a woman, can still in some ways be swayed by even the weakest of men.

The final scene being studied is the tool shop scene in which the audience is introduced to both Lila Crane and Milton Arbogast. The scene begins with Sam relenting to Marion’s earlier wishes and writing a letter asking her to come live with him. Sam is soon disturbed by Lila Crane (Vera Miles), who informs him of Marion’s theft and subsequent disappearance. They are then both disturbed by Milton Arbogast (Martin Balsam) who informs them that he is a private investigator searching for the money and Marion. The conversation begins with Sam fulfilling the male gaze. He is dominant over Lila and without a word creates a position where Lila is begging him for help. He is then overshadowed by Arbogast, who becomes the dominant force in the scene. Yet again the audience is given moment of voyeurism when Sam has to ask his employee to go away while he talks to Lila. There are no p.o.v. shots in this scene but the introduction of Arbogast is evidently portrayed as uncomfortable and intruding. He is so close to the camera that there is a level of awkwardness for the viewer. Sam and Lila are immediately put into weakened positions by Arbogast and though they are innocent, he tells them that no matter what happens he will find her, making them suspects. Sam presents a challenge to Arbogast whole Lila immediately falls to the wayside and the two men (though one is stronger) take control of the situation.

Though Psycho is world famous for Bernard Herrmann’s score, all three of these scenes are absent of music. The score is, however, used in scenes surrounding these to keep a level of intensity with the viewer. The editing in Psycho alters from slow to fast paced, depending on the scene. The pacing is quite evident in the supper scene but takes a complete turn in the shower scene just a few moments later. The shower scene features 50 cuts in a little over 3 minutes. Psycho fits as a perfect example of the dynamics of gender roles in the 1960’s. Though Marion displays a strong level of feminism, the audience is quickly shown that if a woman exerts strength, she could very well end up dead on a hotel bathroom floor. It is equally interesting that though Norman is presented as a passive individual for the length of the film he is in fact one of the strongest people presented. He kills two of the strongest characters and though physically subdued at the end of the film, his mind (and the multiple personalities in it) remains strong and determined. Psycho also assists “the times” and its methods of coping with a change in sexuality. By portraying a transvestite as a mentally unstable serial killer, homophobic males can more easily justify their dislike of alternative sexual roles. A few years ago, Psycho was voted the greatest thriller ever made. Though this ruling obviously comes from its more famous sequences, the scenes looked at in this essay establish how it maintains a level of suspense throughout. No character remains in control for long, and no body seems to be safe at any moment. Psycho truly is a heart-pounding tale of greed, murder and mystery.

In the first decade of the 20th Century, the people of Russia viewed author Leo Tolstoy as a national treasure, some going so far as to say he is a living saint. In Michael Hoffman’s The Last Station, we are given a look into the last year of Tolstoy’s life and how the author struggled with the future of his family and literary works while deciding how to live out his final days.

Russia, 1910. Valentin Bulgakov (James McAvoy), a devoted member of the “Tolstoyan Movement” is sent to the iconic author’s estate to be his new secretary. His appointment to this position comes from the movement’s leader Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti), who is deeply interested in having Tolstoy sign a will placing his works in the public domain. Chertkov orders Bulgakov to be his spy (as Chertov is under house arrest). Once Bulgakov arrive at the estate he is immediately thrown into the middle of the Tolstoy family’s “palace intrigue”. Leo (Christopher Plummer) is at constant odd with his wife Sophia (Helen Mirren) while everyone around them either idolized the author or scrambles for the next scandalous scoop for the newspapers at the hands of Sophia. Bulgakov is soon asked to spy for Sophia as well, placing him in the middle of the argument. While the two sides grumble over money it becomes clearer to Tolstoy that he is dying and he must decide whether or not to carry out on his final wish; abandoning all he has to become a wonderer.

Without a doubt, the most stunning aspect of this film is the incredible acting from Plummer and Mirren. Both were nominated for Academy Awards, Golden Globe and SAG Awards this past year and although neither won any of them, I feel like they were given their dues for these magnificent performances. Giamatti, McAvoy, Anne-Maria Duff (McAvoy’s real life wife who portrays Tolstoy’s daughter) and Kerry Condon (as Bulgakov’s lover) perform their intensely dramatic roles with such flair that during the tensest of arguments I found myself holding my breath like this was an action film.

Director and screenwriter Michael Hoffman delivers an exquisitely well-made film for its modest budget of $17 million while cinematographer Sebastian Edschmid subtly pleases the viewer’s eye. Additionally, Sergey Yevtushenko’s score provides a wonderful period feel for the film.

On the philosophical meaning of the film, I found it tragic that Tolstoy seeks a life free of possession and money but everywhere he turns, is pursued by those wishing him to sign over (or sign away) his copyrights. The Last Station is a very deep film which causes us to look at what things really mean when we comes to the end of our lives and though one may feel somewhat emotionally drained after viewing it, I still think it is worth the time and energy.

Before she was a legend, she was just a girl. Though we’ve seen this “Cinderella story” a thousand times, Jean-Marc Vallée’s The Young Victoria tells the true story of Queen Victoria’s turbulent youth, ascension to the throne, and the love that stood by her while she became one of Britain’s most famous monarchs.

The Young Victoria stars Emily Blunt in a tour-de-force performance as the Queen of England and Rupert Friend as the love of her life, Prince Albert. The film begins with Victoria as a young girl but quickly advances to the period right before she became Queen. As King William IV nears death, Victoria is pursued from all sides by those wanting a piece of her once she is Queen. Among those is a man named Albert, who wants her affection more than her power. As she takes the throne she is met with the difficulties of a vast nation, a disgruntled palace and the threat of assassination.

As far as historical dramas, this film is a knockout. It is quickly made apparent why The Young Victoria was nominated for 3 Academy Awards this past year (Art Direction, Makeup and Costume Design). Along with the amazing technical aspects of this production, one of my favorite parts was its beautiful score by Ilan Eshkeri. The epic orchestrations give the film a feeling of royalty that it truly deserves.

The Screenplay by Julian Fellowes deviates from history at some points but properly balances the love story of Victoria and Albert with the political issues tacking Victoria. Featuring an ensemble cast including Miranda Richardson, Jim Broadbent and Paul Bettany The Young Victoria features an amazing cast, portraying some of the most famous figures of 19th Century England.

Produced by Martin Scorsese and The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, this film is a well crafted, well executed biography of the woman who led Great Britain for 63 years and how she became the icon we know her as today and stands as one of my favorite biographical films of 2009.

There are times where I’m absolutely desperate to escape the monotony of traditional Hollywood romance films. Luckily, when I was in that mood the other night, I viewed a quirky new film not only about love, but what happens when it doesn’t work out the way we planned.

When young greeting card writer Tom (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) meets an office girl with a seasonal name and a strange disposition (Zooey Deschanel), the viewer is given a sometimes funny, sometimes depressing and always peculiar look into his (500) Days of Summer. The two hit things off well but when Tom wants a more serious relationship, he gets far more than he bargained for in Summer. As the two head for disaster, Tom’s hopes and dreams collapse before our very eyes.

Told in non-sequential order, the plot of (500) Days of Summer is at sometimes slightly hard to follow, but once the viewer gets the hang of it, the film becomes highly enjoyable. The backbone of this film comes from lead actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, whose likeable nature pulls you in and makes you a fan almost instantly. Gordon-Levitt (once a child star) seems to be having a well-deserved career comeback lately, thanks in part to this film.

In telling this story, the film takes an interesting approach. The fourth wall is broken, a street scene becomes a musical number and the viewer is given a chance to see reality side by side with what the main character wishes reality were. All these methods, mixed with the non linear nature of the film keep you engaged while challenging the classic structure of romantic comedies.

As stated in the tag line, (500) Days of Summer is “not a love story”, but by the end of it we find ourselves loving the main character and walking away from the film with a happy feeling. If a fresh, fun, independent film is what you’re looking for, look no further than (500) Days of Summer.

Though the Santa Barbara International Film Festival features incredible premieres and screenings of recently released films, sometimes the greatest experiences come when the festival looks back and enjoys the classics. That was the case today when Quentin Tarantino presented SBIFF 2010 with Kirk Douglas’ Posse

Posse is a story of greed, lawlessness and the hunger for power that so easily consumes good men. Howard Nightingale (Kirk Douglas) is a famous Texas lawmen tasked with capturing notorious criminal Jack Strawhorn (Bruce Dern). If Nightingale is successful he is sure to win a seat in the United States Senate and advance his career that he hopes will take him to the top. But after apprehending Strawhorn, Nightingale finds it hard to keep hold of him when people begin to question his motives for seeking power.

This film was made in the wake of the Watergate Scandal and in many ways was meant to be a scathing attack on government. Writers Christopher Knopf and William Roberts blend humor and drama into a well paced, emotionally charged screenplay that resonates to this day. Kirk Douglas’ served as star of the film and director, lending a classic western feel that let Mr. Tarantino to comment that “if he hadn’t seen Kirk’s name on the credits, he would have thought it was a John Sturges film” to which Mr. Douglas responded “that’s the greatest compliment anyone could have ever given me.”

For me, the stand out performance in Posse is Bruce Dern as Jack Strawhorn. When the character is first introduced as the villain, the audience immediately places him in their minds as negative. But as the film progresses, we begin to see the change in roles and a giant flip occurs half way into the film, suddenly making him the good guy and leaving the audience guessing what’s going to happen next.

When Mr. Douglas and Mr. Tarantino spoke, one could see that Mr. Tarantino was thrilled to be there. He stated that this has “always been one of his favorite films” and in some ways one can see how he took some of his style from it. On the other hand, Mr. Douglas, who is always as entertaining as can be, was more interested in talking to Mr. Tarantino about Inglourious Basterds and Christoph Waltz’s incredible performance, than he was interested in talking about Posse. But regardless, having two legends like Mr. Tarantino and Mr. Douglas on stage truly made today a day that Santa Barbara filmgoers will not soon forget.

In 1887 Sir Arthur Conan Doyle published his first story about a brilliant, eccentric detective and his loyal partner. Their adventures have been portrayed in print, radio, television and film on a near constant basis since then, but the most recent incarnation of Scotland Yard’s enigmatic detective has taken the name of Sherlock Holmes to a whole new level (and that’s not necessarily a good thing).

Guy Ritchie’s take on Holmes (Robery Downey Jr.) and Watson (Jude Law) begins with what seems to be the end of their case. The duo capture Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong), a member of the House of Lords turned satanic serial killer and lead him to the gallows, but things never stay quiet long for Sherlock Holmes. Reports soon arise that Blackwood has risen from the grave and those associated with him start dying in violent ways, leading Holmes and Watson on a chase through London. But in order to solve this mystery Holmes must seek the help of an old flame named Irene Adler (Rachel McAdams). But with the three working together the question is: can they defeat Lord Blackwood before he has the chance to kill hundreds of innocent people?

Stylistically the film is a knock out. Ritchie’s portrayal of Victorian London and its disgusting underworld set the mood of the film very well. I particularly enjoyed the way Ritchie shows the inner workings of Holmes mind including his deduction skills and ability to predict others actions before they happen.

Though I enjoyed Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal I had a hard time following him at times. His use of an English accent caused him to mumble his lines in a way that I heard multiple people in the audience asking the people they were sitting next to what he just said. Jude Law is very good as John Watson, Holmes complaining but ever-faithful sidekick and Rachel McAdams is very well placed as an American femme fatale.

One of my favorite parts of the film was the score by Hanz Zimmer. Though it is very shrill, the violin-based music fits the film very well giving a feel as though we are actually inside Holmes ever-moving mind. For me, the biggest problem with the film is it’s pacing. At times it seems to take forever to get through one part then when the viewer becomes interested in another part it zips by before you can process everything.

My final complaint about this film (and this it my biggest problem with it) is that it seems as though instead of making this film to stand up on its own they made it to set up the inevitable sequels without giving the film a chance to prove itself first. Overall, Sherlock Holmes had a large amount of potential but left a most of it behind. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it 6.5.

With Halloween rapidly approaching I found myself wanting to watch a good horror movie. I thought back to when I was 12 years old and remembered seeing a movie that was really scary at the time. With that in mind, I decided to watch the remake of Vincent Price’s classic ghost story House on Haunted Hill again… Sadly, that was a terrible mistake.

House on Haunted Hill presents us with a millionaire, his cutthroat trophy wife, the manic owner of a haunted house and five unassuming strangers trapped in an abandoned psychiatric hospital turned haunted mansion. The millionaire (Geoffrey Price) tells each person that if they survive the night, they will be awarded $1,000,000. Each accepts but when the guests start dying one by one, they begin to wonder if any of them will live to see the money.

This movie disappointed me on so many levels. I could see why it scared me as a child but no more than halfway through I was already laughing at the poor style and filmmaking. This film pulls out all the stops with clichés but still manages to fall short. Whether it’s Dick Beebe’s mangled screenplay or William Malone’s manic direction, I don’t know, but the one thing that for certain is I left this film with a sour taste in my mouth.

The bright spot of the film comes from its talented group of performers. Geoffrey Rush and Famke Janssen are great as bickering blue bloods and Ali Larter and Taye Diggs are well placed as the guests who get more than they bargained for. The only person who appears out of place is Saturday Night Live comedian Chris Kattan, whose eccentric portrayal of the home’s owner leaves viewers laughing when they should be trembling.

Though this film certainly fulfills a person’s expected horror movie bloodlust, it fails to truly give you the thrills you hope for when watching a great horror film. My verdict is pass.

I recently decided it was time for an Alfred Hitchcock marathon. After looking at my collection of famous “Hitch” film I decided to start with a lesser known, but still overwhelmingly entertaining thriller from the storied director’s later years.

Marnie, based on a novel by Winston Graham, is a psychological thriller about a young woman (Tippi Hedren) whose sinister past leads her to become a man-hating kleptomaniac. When she is caught by a rich businessman (Sean Connery), he quickly sets his sights on solving the mysteries of her childhood while trying to get her to fall in love with him.

Though Marnie has no iconic line or moment like so many of Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpieces, it is still a truly great thriller. I’ve seen it before but there are still moments where I feel a sweat break out and I just want to yell at the screen. Tippi Hedren’s performance as Marnie rivals her other major Hitchcock role in The Birds. Her character is weak while strong and tormented while happy.

Connery, fresh of his first few “Bond” films, delivers a quirky, insult-filled performance as the man who puts Marnie in his sights. Though the dialogue is well written and delve deeply into fields rarely discussed in 1964, it seems to me that there were just a few too many one-liners in the film. For those reasons I both praise and knock Jay Allen, who has also written such classic screenplays as Cabaret and Deathtrap.

Overall, Marnie is a suspenseful tour de force from Tippi Hedren and as always a brilliantly directed film from the master himself. Though there’s no rampages or mass slayings if you want an enjoyable thriller for this Halloween, give Marnie a try.

When I was growing up, my favorite fantasy film was the story of a man trapped in one time and one place. Harold Ramis’ Groundhog Day is a funny, heartwarming tale of self-improvement, love and weather-predicting animals.

Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is a self-centered, egotistical weatherman who is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the town’s world famous Groundhog Day festival. Phil narcissistically carries out his duties so he can head home but finds himself trapped in a blizzard until the next morning, but for Phil, the next morning never comes. Phil wakes up on Groundhog Day once again and everything is as it was. That night the same thing happens again. No matter what Phil does he can’t escape from Groundhog Day. After a while it becomes clear his only hope is to become a better man or be trapped in Groundhog Day forever.

Technically, there is nothing special about this film. It’s well directed and well edited, but where it truly excels is its script and acting. Harold Ramis and Danny Rubin’s screenplay is so well conceived that it seems impossible to get it wrong. Murray leads this small but well rounded cast perfectly. The viewing truly feels his switch from being self-centered to being good hearted. Andie McDowell fits well as his love interest and Chris Elliot delivers great sidekick laughs as a dim-witted cameraman.

Groundhog Day was a great commercial success in its initial release, grossing nearly six times its production cost but its true popularity came later, when it became a television staple. I remember seeing it on a cable channel at least once a week when I was growing up.

When the American Film Institute ranked its Top 10 films in each genre, Groundhog Day was #8 on the “Fantasy” list. Though it may not fall into the traditional idea of a fantasy film, I think it’s a great story of how we can change ourselves if we’re given the chance to see our shortcomings.

When people who know film history talk about 1972 they seem to immediately think of that year’s Best Picture Oscar Winner The Godfather, but many seem to forget that as good as it was, The Godfather was nearly toppled by a dark musical fantasy set in a city of lust, greed and late-night entertainment.

Bob Fosse’s Cabaret follows the lives of an American singer (Liza Minnelli) and a British scholar (Michael York) living in pre-World War II Berlin. The singer, Sally, performs nightly at the Kit-Kat-Club while the scholar, Brian, teaches English to over-privileged Germans. The two soon begin a relationship but are driven apart by the changing political climate and a rich bi-sexual German who seduces each of them at his leisure. But as the world begins to change around them, the most obvious signs are the attitudes of the mysterious Master of Ceremonies at the Kit-Kat-Club (Joel Grey).

Cabaret has always been one of my favorite musicals. Fosse’s seductive style mixed with John Kander and Fred Ebb’s amazing music make this the perfect antithesis to the happy-go-lucky musicals of the 1960’s. Many say that Fosse’s expressionist feel in Cabaret is directly inspired by the early German filmmakers like Wiene, Murnau and Lang. Cinematographer Geoffrey Unsworth use of low-light is a stark contrast to some of his other films such as Superman and 2001: A Space Odyssey, but make the film even more interesting. One gets the feel that the Kit-Kat-Club is the kind of place where the shadows are more important that the lights.

In my opinion, this film features one of the greatest performances in film history. Joel Grey’s tour-de-force as the M.C. is terrifying, enticing and mystifying all at the same time. Though he is only on screen for a short period of time, he binds the plot and signifies the rise of the Nazi party. Some say he’s actually a representation of Hitler himself. He is also a member of a very rare group. For his performance as the M.C. he was awarded the Oscar, BAFTA, Tony and Golden Globe. Although I seem to be primarily citing Joel Grey as the greatest performance in the film, it must be mentioned that Liza Minelli and Michael York are stellar in their respective roles. Minnelli’s performance of “Maybe This Time” is one of my favorite songs of all time and York’s cool and collected attitude make you love him and hate him throughout the film.

Overall, Cabaret is a brilliant example of the dark musical genre and surely paved the way for films like Rob Marshall’s Chicago and the soon to be released 9. In 1972, The Godfather won 3 Academy Awards, Cabaret won 8, even thought The Godfather is one of the greatest films of all time, I’d like you to remember the one that nearly took it down.