Hitchcock brings his patented brand of mystery to San Francisco.

Rating: 7/10 (8 August 2010)

"Go up the stairs. Go up the stairs, Judy, and I'll follow."
How far, how deep into obsession can love for a woman drive a man? That's the very question that Alfred Hitchcock tackles in this twisty thriller.
Having little knowledge of the plot of Vertigo is even more necessary than the average Hitchcock movie, so I'll reveal as little as possible. Jimmy Stewart plays an ex-detective who is convinced by an old friend to secretly follow his wife (Kim Novak), who has been acting strangely. What comes next is a completely unpredictable and dark tale of love, death, deceit, and obsession.
The only thing that keeps Vertigo from being amongst my favorite Hitchcock movies is its uneven quality. The tone of the first half of the movie is quite different from the second half, and while that makes complete sense within the context of the story, I found the latter portion to be much more entertaining, as a result. The ending ranks right there with Notorious and The Birds as the most memorable that Alfred ever did.
This was the first Hitchcock movie I ever saw, and in hindsight, it was a great one to begin with. Vertigo's mixture of mystery and darkness is a perfect introduction to the legendary director, and it fully deserves the sterling regard that it's earned over the years.