VERTIGO
dir: Alfred Hitchcock
"Here I was born, and there I died. It was only a moment for you; you took no notice. " - Madeleine
Brief Synopsis
A detective agrees to investigate his friend's wife, who seems to believe she is two different people from different times.
Why It's Here
Initially, "Vertigo" was passed of as mediocrity, and even over the years many critics and fans will tell you that "Psycho" or "Rear Window" are the true Hitchcock masterpieces. Yet, several avante-garde film makers such as David Lynch, Chris Marker, and Brian DePalma have all stated "Vertigo" to be their favourite, even creating films in tribute to it. All with good reason, "Vertigo" is the peak of Hitchcock's creative career. Re-establishing himself as a director, Hitchcock made a film with a drastically unconventional structure where the mystery was essentially solved by the end of the second act, he cast the unlikely Kim Novak as the female lead and the film acted more as an obsessive or voyeuristic relationship between the stalking Scottie and the seemingly unknowing Madeleine opposed to a more typical, mutual romance.
From the beginning, "Vertigo" plays as a more experimental film for "Hitchcock", using unique shots starting with the spiraling vertigo effects vanishing into a woman's iris, continuing with the fast-paced rooftop chase sequence and the memorable effect representing Scottie's vertigo as he gazes down to the increasingly distant ground beneath him. Hitchcock's film uses vertigo as a direct character element, but also as a theme, or rather part of the theme of illusion. The entire plot plays out as an illusion itself, while the complex romance also acts as an illusion, damaging Scottie because he dared to "fall" in love, mirroring his own illusive fear of heights.
While the mystery largely wraps up earlier on than expected, the pacing does not cease and the plot continues to drive forward to an unforgettable finale where Scottie's only cure for his vertigo comes at a costly price.
From the beginning, "Vertigo" plays as a more experimental film for "Hitchcock", using unique shots starting with the spiraling vertigo effects vanishing into a woman's iris, continuing with the fast-paced rooftop chase sequence and the memorable effect representing Scottie's vertigo as he gazes down to the increasingly distant ground beneath him. Hitchcock's film uses vertigo as a direct character element, but also as a theme, or rather part of the theme of illusion. The entire plot plays out as an illusion itself, while the complex romance also acts as an illusion, damaging Scottie because he dared to "fall" in love, mirroring his own illusive fear of heights.
While the mystery largely wraps up earlier on than expected, the pacing does not cease and the plot continues to drive forward to an unforgettable finale where Scottie's only cure for his vertigo comes at a costly price.