Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Year: 1958
Country: U.S
Language: English
Recently Vertigo was named the greatest film of all time by sight and sound magazine. Since this is my favourite Hitchcock film and the only one I own (though I am interested in obtaining the Criterion edition of Hitchcock's 39 Steps) I decided to re-watch it to see if it really is as good as the magazine implies. Technically the film is incredible, even though I haven't been a fan of all of Hitchcock's work I always been in awe of his technical mastery. Jimmy Stewart's role as the former detective who accidently involves himself in a mystery is the best I've seen Stewart in. I think the shock alone from seeing him go from happy American movies like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and It's a Wonderful Life to a classic Hitchcock thriller is enough to get you interested in this film.
From the first time I saw Vertigo in my high school Video Production class I was intrigued by its visual style. Hitchcock zooms the lens at the same time he pulls the camera back, giving a nauseous "vertigo" like feel. The lighting and many camera angles make the film feel eerie and mysterious. They reveal the great madness and sadness Stewart's character goes through. The music is of intrigue, love and lore. It is haunting and unsettling. It manipulates our emotions and crafts the story. Each shot meant something great, it was of technical genuis. Hitchcock had complete control of how his film was made, with shots so complex that film scholars are still analyzing how he made them.
While a master with the camera, Hitchcock was also known as the master of women. Blond, cold and isolative, the qualities of his female leads would always stay the same. They were the subject of most men's desires, whose lust for them often would drive them mad. A criticism of Hitchock is that he doesn't use emotion well in his films, perhaps because he was born in the UK, a country infamous for the "stiff upper lip" attitude. Men just didn't show emotion in Hitchcock\s time, it was viewed as weakness. However, in Vertigo Hitchock uses emotion amazingly well. Fear, guilt, frustration, ordinary emotions that are not often used well in the Hollywood films made today.
Vertigo has a plot within a plot. The important plot is centered on Scottie (James Steward), a man who has both a physical handicap (back problems) and a mental handicap (vertigo) who slowly becomes obsessed with a blond, cold, isolative woman. When he finds that he can't have her he creepily molds another woman into the woman he wants. Much like how directors mold actresses into the character they want her to be, except much more insane. Of course this woman, known as Judy (Kim Novac) is involved in a murder plot and needed to somewhat look like Scotty's "Madeline" in order to kill her. Scotty is outraged. Is this hard to follow? The first time I saw Vertigo I was a bit confused, it's a film you need to watch more than once to completely understand. Judy falls in love with Scotty as well, even though she knows she only loves him because he thinks she is Madeline she decides to pretend to be her because that's the only way she can be with him. Both Scottie and Judy are puppets to Gavin, the man who created the madeline character to murder his own wife.
Vertigo's theme about the danger of "falling" is present throughout the film. Scottie "falls" in love with Judy, the dangerous consequences are present to the viewer but not the character. Judy "falls" in love with Scottie but can never reveal who she truely is. They both "fall" for Gavin's game, Scottie's fear of "falling" prevent him from saving the real love of his life. They "fall" from grace and "fall" into madness.
In conclusion, is Vertigo the best movie ever made? It certainly is important, entertaining and well made but "best" still seems subjective to me. It is definitley in my top ten, but I wouldn't say it's my favourite nor would I say it's the "best". If I was making a mystery, I would study Vertigo for days, trying to see how I could make it as good as possible. Vertigo is easily the creepiest film I have ever seen. After finishing this review, I will definitley watch it again. I wouldn't suggest watching it once, watch it at least 5 times and if you aren't impressed, watch it 5 more times and then watch your jaw drop as you sit in awe of a master and his film. Praise it! 5/5
No comments:
Post a Comment