papjimbob Reviews

Psycho (1960)

Awesome work of art!

[10/10 · 5 November 2005]

Alfred Hitchcock takes over an hour and a half in his movie masterpiece, Psycho, to set up the audience for the dénouement scene, i.e. the scene in which Norman Bates' mother first reveals herself. The truth about her is so unexpected that it startles the first-time viewer into immediate and involuntary contemplation concerning the nature of the relationship between her and Norman.

The first-time viewer is virtually coerced by Hitchcock to start thinking and theorizing in order to satisfy the viewer's own inherent need to make sense out of what is happening in the movie. It is reminiscent of some of William Faulkner's best work, in that it conjures up all sorts of unshown images in one's mind.

The most amazing aspect of this great movie consists of its utter believability from beginning to end. These bizarre events could all really have happened! Go see this movie on the big screen. Don't talk to anyone who has seen it about its many secrets. You are best advised to discover those secrets for yourself, in due course. You will be artfully manipulated and mesmerized by the unexcelled genius of Alfred Hitchcock, in a way that is only rivaled by the likes of the great Orson Wells.

If you have heart trouble, don't go to this movie. Although the movie really is wonderful, it's not quite worth dying for. Really.

The Secret Agent (1996)

A masterpiece movie version of a great work of art by Joseph Conrad.

[10/10 · 26 August 2004]

Joseph Conrad was a visionary. He realized that the society in which we live is imperfect and hypocritical. Over one hundred years ago he realized, as did Herman Melville and other great thinkers, that women do not enjoy an equal stature with men in society. So he chose to write a great novel that deals with this issue both subtly and forcefully. The Secret Agent is not what it may seem to some to be upon first reading or viewing -- i.e., a spy thriller. On the contrary, it is an in-depth analysis and portrayal of the relative powerlessness of most women in society. It does not preach. It does not advocate. Conrad leaves it up to the reader (or viewer in the case of the excellent movie version) to draw whatever conclusions are pertinent for that person. Thus it is art, because it creates an enduring impression that seems to come from the reader's or viewer's own mind.

The movie version is superbly acted by a cast of master actors who quite clearly are very pleased to be participating with each other in creating this masterpiece movie. One gets the impression that each of the "lucky" actors has great respect for the book and its author and its messages, much as many Shakespearean players do when they "give their all" for the play.

The result is a realistic heart-wrenching tragedy. This may explain why it is not favored among common moviegoers that want and expect a Hollywood happy ending. Instead they get the real world, superbly depicted.

If you want fun, don't view this film. If you want to be challenged intellectually and ethically, then by all means watch it several times. And then tell your serious-minded friends and acquaintances about the existence of this movie. They will thank you!

Professor JimBob