A Romantic and Psychological Mystery with a Metaphysical Aura

Rating: 10/10 (23 May 2001)

If anyone has produced a more engrossing mystery than this, Hitchcock's finest effort and his most unique film, please tell me. No gimmicks here, just an enigmatic tale of love, lust, betrayal, and a mystery that envelopes one with a feeling of being in another world. So many classic scenes that it is no wonder it consistently shows up on top ten lists. If anyone isn't swept away by the performances and the intrigue of the plot, they should go so their doctor to see if they are still alive. The one scene that really gives me the feeling that there are metaphysical forces at work here is the one the in redwoods at the center of the film. Many cite the scene in the small hotel as a pivotal part of the plot, the point where Scotty (Jimmy Stewart) has finally lost himself to his compulsion. Kim Novak plays her character exactly as Hitchcock intended and she was perfectly cast. She never came up to this level again in her career. Telling point: a few years after I saw the film, I returned to Ernie's in San Francisco (the restaurant where the Scotty first see Madeline) and it was positively eerie.