a masterpiece!!!

Rating: 10/10 (17 February 2008)

"Vertigo" is my favorite movie. Is it the best movie ever made? Perhaps not. It is more of a work of art from Hitchcock and, as been noted by others, a very personal film. This film is about compulsion, obsession and of having , what is to Scotty, the ideal woman in his grasp, only to lose her in tragic circumstances. It is also about guilt, bereavement and murder. Even after Madeleine's death, Scotty cannot let it go. He continues to search for a "dead" woman. He is almost willing to go to any lengths to recapture what was lost. But as the old saying goes..."be careful what you wish for"?
Hitchcock's direction and screen composition is right on. The art direction and color schemes are fantastic. The setting and filming of San Francisco, magnificent. The performances are fantastic all around. However, despite all of the above, the one factor which really sets this film apart as a "classic" is the Hermann score. It is truly great and captures and adds to the mood and tone of this film in all of its facets.
This film should definitely be rated higher on this site. I guess without constant explosions, shootings, car chases and other myriad CGI effects todays audiences could not sit through this movie. To watch this film is to watch a master at his craft during the height of his creative genius. A definite 10!!!