One of the best films of all time

Rating: 10/10 (12 January 2018)

If you've only encountered the films of Alfred Hitchcock through scary films like PSYCHO and THE BIRDS then you are missing out on the bulk of his work and some of the finest motion pictures ever made. I had the privilege of checking out one of his best films, VERTIGO, on the big screen as part of the EMAGINE WILLOW CREEK's SECRET CINEMA series - and what a treat it was.
Starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, VERTIGO is a film about obsession, desire, deception and murder all told in a package by the great Hitchock that pops off the screen and into your brain. EVERY part of this film works and it still holds up 60 years after it's release.
Stewart stars as John "Scotty" Ferguson a former Police Detective who must retire from the force because of his severe acrophobia (fear of heights) heightened by vertigo. He is asked by a friend to follow his wife, Madeleine (Kim Novak) for fear that she is suicidal. I won't spoil what happens from there, but Hitchcock puts us on the trail of a psychological thriller where Scotty is both the hero and the heel - a real balancing act to pull off and one that needs a beloved actor like Jimmy Stewart in order to be successful. We instantly start liking - and trusting - Scotty from the beginning only to start to lose our trust of him as the events unfold. Stewart's performance is one of the best of his career and holds our attention throughout.
Equally captivating is Novak's portrayal of the suicidal wife, Madeleine, who is equal parts beautiful, mysterious and cagey. Without giving too much away, Scotty starts to fall for Madeleine and with Novak's performance, I can see why. She has the trickier part to play in this film and plays the layers of her character well.
But this is a Hitchcock film through and through - and shows a top director at the top of his game. From the opening note of Bernard Hermann's off-kilter score to the use of color, place and camera movement, Hitchcock keeps the viewer off-center throughout the film, immersing us in a world that is not quite real, not quite false, which mirrors the reality (or un-reality) that Scotty is dealing with himself.
If you have not seen this film, I strongly recommend that you do. If you have not seen this film on the large screen, I doubly strongly encourage you to do so. as it will be theaters on March 18 & 21 as part of Turner Classic Movie's Big Screen Classics film series.
Vertigo was recently sited by the BFI Site and Sound poll as the best film of all time, and while I don't quite share that rating of it, I do rate it as ONE of the top films of all time.
Letter Grade: A+
10 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)