Wow. Very wow!

Rating: Null/10 (8 April 2000)

This is my 2nd favorite Hitchcock movie after North by Northwest. It is a combination of all the elements that make his movies great. The acting, the use of color and the cinematography, the music, the story that grabs you in the beginning and doesn't let go.
This movie is perfectly cast. I'm not sure, but I think there are only 4 characters who appear in more than 1 scene. Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak really carry this movie in their large roles. On repeat viewing, after you have learned the truth about the Kim Novak character the first time, her performance gets deeper and deeper. What a spot to be in, to be in love with the one person that you have to convince you are someone else. Barbara Bel Geddes is also good in a small role. Jimmy Stewart is great as always, but perhaps better than usual. His performance reaches an emotional level that few actors can. He was absolutely amazing.
I thought the picture quality (VistaVision + Restoration) was beautiful! I think this is quite possibly the loveliest movie I have ever seen. Every shot seems so perfect. The way the green reflects on people's faces, and that beautiful but sad graveyard... and the scene where Stewart kisses Novak, and is suddenly reminded of kissing her in the stables... WOW! The dream sequence was brilliant too. I also liked the "vertigo effect". You really feel the way Jimmy Stewart does in that bell tower.
Bernard Hermann's score is one of his best ever. The way some things are accentuated is great - like whenever the vertigo thing is done, and the love theme when Stewart and Novak kiss passionately in her hotel room is compelling to no end. His next three scores (North by Northwest, Psycho, Marnie) are also very good. Perhaps this score was the one that showed the character's emotions the best and it fit the film perfectly.
The story was great. The first time I saw it, I was thinking - this is kind of weird. She's possessed by her great-grandma? But after watching the whole thing and rewatching it, I realized how great it is. And the way it's directed really fleshes out a wonderful screenplay. Anyone who is going into film should watch this movie and learn from it. It has a special place in the annals of movie history.
It's a wonderful mystery, drama, love story, gripping suspense, a series of beautifully filmed images, and one of the best films you could ever treat yourself with!