Psychosis (Psycho)

Production and year: USA, 1960 Original title: Psycho Genre: Thriller Director: Alfred Hitchcock Screenplay: Joseph Stefano Cast: Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, and others Medical topic: dissociative identity disorder Description: A cinema classic. Secretary Marion Crane steals forty thousand dollars from her boss and flees the city, intending to start a new life with her boyfriend. On the way, she stops at a motel run by Norman Bates. The friendly but somewhat eccentric Norman lives in a house near the motel with his domineering, ailing mother. Clearly interested in Marion, Bates invites her to dinner. When Miss Crane returns to her room, she is brutally murdered. Who is behind this? Dissociative identity disorder is a theme that appears in many films and in literature. However, this is one of the first films (if not the first) based on this motif, and for that reason alone it can be considered unique. Also known as “multiple personality disorder,” the condition sparks considerable controversy in the scientific community. Some researchers even question the existence of completely separate personalities in patients suffering from this disorder, claiming that the traits attributed to individual “personalities” are exaggerated aspects of the same personality. Similarly, there are many theories regarding the causes of this disorder. Most often, however, it is linked to past trauma. A valuable aspect of *Psycho* for a young medical student is the character of the psychiatrist who appears in the film and ultimately explains to the viewer the behavior of the person suffering from the disorder and its causes. *Psycho* is a perfectly executed film that terrifies by relying on tension built, among other things, by its unforgettable soundtrack. I highly recommend it.