Directed by:
Alfred HitchcockCinematography:
Robert BurksComposer:
Bernard HerrmannCast:
James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore, Henry Jones, Ellen Corby, Konstantin Shayne, Lee Patrick, Alfred Hitchcock, June Jocelyn (more)VOD (3)
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Set among San Francisco's renown landmarks, James Stewart is brilliant as Scottie Ferguson, an acrophobic detective hired to shadow a friend's suicidal wife, Madeleine (Kim Novak). After he saves her from drowning in the bay, Scottie's interest shifts from business to fascination with the icy, alluring blonde. When he finds another woman remarkably like his lost love, the now obsessed detective must unravel the secrets of the past to find the key to his future. (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
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Reviews (8)
An interesting and mysterious genre mix that left me quite confused. Not that I didn’t get it, Vertigo is made with such finesse and sensitivity that it’s impossible to get lost (in fact, I’d say it allows for several interpretations), what confused me is the way it becomes something different every five minutes. For a moment it’s a thriller, then sci-fi followed by a romantic bit, only to carry on as a crime drama. I don’t have anything against it, I had a lot of fun, but I prefer Hitchcock when he’s more genre pure. 8/10
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I've seen too many films by Alfred Hitchcock to consider him an undisputed master of directing - too often I watched in disgust a story that, despite its fame, must have been naive even at the time of its creation. However, Hitchcock did not gain his reputation for free, and there are several titles where I nod approvingly and say, "Yes, this still works after all these years." I place Vertigo in the elite group among such titles as Psycho or Rear Window. It is a film about a murderous conspiracy, where Hitchcock used his favorite motif. An average guy is maneuvered into a terrifying mystery game that emotionally marks him for the rest of his life. Hitchcock's favorite interest in psychoanalysis does not come across as amusingly here as it does in the case of The Man Who Knew Too Much. Hitchcock combines the crime genre with romance and enriches them with mysterious and sensual elements. With ingenious camera movement, often directed into the depths, and disharmonic music, the director excellently evokes the feeling of the protagonist's turmoil, highlighting his uncertainty and fear. Vertigo represents excellent craftsmanship, a journey to uncover the identity of a fateful woman full of hints, mirror reflections, and playful use of color contrasts that can be appreciated even after repeated viewing. Vertigo belongs among the creative films that paved the way for new film methods and elements. Overall impression: 90%.
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Vertigo is another skillful and artful work of a capable director, which does not lack both solid acting performances and quality technical workmanship (kudos especially for the vertigo scene with the staircase). A former detective suffering from acrophobia is tasked with tracking down the charming wife of an old acquaintance, only "in the end" everything doesn't go according to plan, but ... and this is where the film's nicely thought-out tiwst comes in, shedding a whole new light on the story. If it weren't for the (for my taste) drawn-out ending, it would have been a clear five stars, as some fifteen minutes less running time wouldn't have hurt it at all. In short, a nearly perfect film that manages to really surprise the viewer in some moments, which is very important.
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An interesting piece of work, no doubt. You cannot deny its excellently built atmosphere, which in tense moments escalates in a way that only Hitchcock was able to. Most of his films also boast masterfully crafted cinematography and, of course, music, two factors that in this thriller give the viewer a sense of dread – of course, I'm thinking mainly of the grandiose scenes from the church tower. But the story, however well thought out, loses pace in many places, and the behaviour of individual characters in relation to a given situation sometimes seemed to me, if not completely nonsensical, at least very strange. I guess that's Hitchcock's personality, though, I don't seem to have enough sympathy for his films to earn the highest ratings.
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A wonderfully mysterious film, the kind of honest spectacle that gets more and more interesting and suspenseful, and is a joy to watch the first and hundred and first time around. James Stewart gave a tremendous performance, and he fell for Kim Novak in a way that probably anyone would. And Hitchcock's thoughtful shots are more than just tinged with Herrmann's music - it's just a sensation.
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Photo © Paramount Pictures
![Vertigo - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/164/435/164435931_9fcd93.jpg)
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