Posted by Gary Deane
on 11/3/2009, 6:22 pm, in reply to "NOIR OF THE WEEK (NOTW) 11/2/09: PSYCHO (1960)"
154.5.39.160
My notion of 'Psycho' is that it resolutely (and brilliantly) subverted the film noir cycle and edged it over the line towards what it would become during the next decade or so - an unholy flux of horror, exploitation, and psychodrama.
For me, that would qualify it the last film noir of the classic period rather than, let's say, 'A Touch of Evil' which leaned hard on the conventions of noir but only for purposes of inflation and exaggeration rather than undermining.
'Psycho' is not a 'strong' film noir because it obviously had its mind on being something other than. But it's still noir.
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