Vertigo (1958) checks off all the boxes for
an Alfred Hitchcock movie: there is an elaborate murder scheme, a man in way
over his head, and a blonde woman who is more than what she seems. The film
also highlights Hitchcock’s ability to utilize the tools of his trade as it was
the first movie to use a dolly zoom, which helped give audiences a glimpse of
what it must feel like to experience the titular feeling of vertigo. Not being
too keen on heights myself, I have to say the zoom has the desired effect.
I crossed this movie off the list after my mom gave me
an Alfred Hitchcock DVD box set filled with five of his greatest hits. From Rear
Window to Psycho, these are the movies that if you have not
seen them, you have seen other movies that either reference them or parody
them. Vertigo is a bit less ingrained in pop culture, so I watched it not
quite knowing what to expect. That is the best way to go in, as this is one of
Hitchcock’s most cerebral thrillers with quite a few twists and uncomfortable
turns.
As with most of his projects, the British-born
director drew some of the biggest American stars of the era for Vertigo.
James Stewart is given a lot to work with as John “Scottie” Ferguson, a San
Francisco detective who retired after the death of a fellow officer. The death
occurred during a rooftop chase when Scottie experienced a severe case of fear
of heights, leaving him paralyzed with fear. This is conveyed by the expert
camerawork that give viewers the impression the ground is sinking away.
Scottie might have a chance to never experience such a
traumatic experience if he lived in a flat area, unfortunately San Francisco
has its fair share of hills and tall buildings. Just standing on a chair is enough
to bring back his feeling of vertigo, meaning unless Scottie truly faces his
fear it will always be just a few inches away. The healthy thing would be to
take a nice long vacation. Instead, Scottie takes on a classic private
detective case when his college friend Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) asks him to
follow his wife who has been behaving strangely.
When a private detective follows a wife, the cliché is
that an affair will be uncovered thanks to a few indiscreet photos taken from
afar. What Scottie discovers is something far more sinister that someone in his
mental state should avoid. Gavin’s wife Madeleine (Kim Novak) has seemingly
become obsessed with a woman who years ago was committed suicide after being
cast aside by her wealthy husband. After Gavin reveals Madeleine is a relative
of the deceased woman, Scottie becomes obsessed with the idea that history
might be about to repeat itself.
Without giving too much away on a movie that came out over
half a century ago, things do repeat themselves but no in the way Scottie
believes. In fact, the story goes in a few unexpected directions that film noir
fans might anticipate. At times Madeleine seems like a woman in need of rescue,
only to later take on a more femme fatale role. Scottie’s role is also flipped
on his head, as he goes from wanting to help, to becoming a danger to the
person he is trying to help. His view from high places is not the only thing
that becomes distorted as the story progresses.
Novak is especially great in her role, playing a
character who is caught between two men’s manipulations and obsessions. This is
not an easy role as her characters hides many secrets and a lot of guilt over
time. In addition, she is either manipulating a character or is the object of that
character’s obsession. It’s a lot of heavy lifting, and she pulls it off like a
pro.
Despite its high ranking on critics’ lists and its
many qualities, Vertigo is not my favourite of the Hitchcock movies I
have seen so far. I tend to gravitate more towards North by Northwest for
the action and Psycho for the thrillers. However, there is no denying
this is a great San Francisco movie with Hitchcock using various locations in
the city for key moments.
The Golden Gate Bridge is of course used as a
backdrop, but there are also various churches, buildings, houses, streets, and
a state park that might not be familiar to anyone who has never been to
California. Given how difficult it is to travel anywhere at the moment,
watching Vertigo is a great movie for anyone wishing to be a tourist
without having to leave their home. However, if like Scottie you panic after
climbing so much as step ladder, prepare to be scared.
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