Hitchcock's Masterpiece

Rating: Null/10 (21 August 2005)

"Do you believe someone out of the past, someone dead, can enter and take possession of a living being?" This question, posed by Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) to John 'Scottie' Ferguson (James Stewart) as he attempts to hire the former police detective to follow his wife (Kim Novak) ostensibly provides the theme to what is, in my opinion, Hitchcock's masterpiece. On the surface, this entire film resolves around this concept on two levels: the apparent possession of Madeleine Elster by Carlotta Valdez and the desperate attempts of Scottie to resurrect Madeleine by transforming the appearance of Judy Barton. But there is much more going on beneath the surface of this movie, an emotional imbroglio suggested with a range of sublime methods that provides it with its real narrative thrust. Certainly, VERTIGO is a film done an injustice by anyone who only watches it once. It require an indefinite number of viewings to be fully appreciated.
It is inarguable that the film's story doesn't pass muster under close inspection, but Hitchcock is such a master at manipulating the audience that this never really bothers us. Dispensing with any in-depth introduction to his characters, he immediately draws us into the events unfolding on the screen, and it is only long after the devastating final image that we are given time to consider the plot in detail, and by then we are so blown away by the pure genius of his exploration of fear and obsession that we are willing to forgive any shortcomings in the plot. Hitchcock was at the height of his powers here, and Stewart's career had already begun to move away from light leading man roles and towards an altogether darker domain  a transition which might not have been so successful had he not had Hitchcock's assured hand to guide him. Novak was never a great actress, but Hitchcock coaxes a career best from her here and she never looked more beautiful that in her incarnation of Madeleine Elster. Hitchcock weaves an air of mystery about her that adds to the unreality of her character, and thus the spellbinding of Scottie, in his fragile mental condition, becomes all the more tragic and poignant. He's falling in love with an illusion, and when that illusion dies he creates another illusion to take its place so that, in reality, he is obsessed with a woman who doesn't exist. There are long stretches without dialogue in this movie that seem to reinforce the impression that it is about images and the way that we interpret them. Colour also plays an important part  red and green especially  and provide complex tableaux filled with metaphor and symbolism.
This movie comes as close to perfection as a film produced within the studio system can; every scene is important, and each adds something to the story and to our understanding of the characters. Hitchcock supplies sly clues and symbols in unexpected places and seemingly unimportant moments, and there are certain aspects that will probably continue to confound and intrigue the viewer even after multiple viewings. In short, VERTIGO is a complex and intelligent film created by a craftsman at the height of his powers, and should be seen by anybody possessing even a passing interest in film.