simply put, the greatest film ever made!!

Rating: Null/10 (21 January 2002)

simply put, this masterwork from the true MASTER, Alfred Hitchcock, is, for me anyway, the finest work of cinematic art ever to appear on a cinema screen. That critics at the time ran this film down, probably because they were expecting a 'typical' Hitchockian drama or thriller, is beyond me. After forty years, with about twenty of them trapped in copyright hell, Vertigo has surprised many people by becoming one of the all-time greats. As for me, a true fan of the man, Vertigo contains moments on film that will never be equalled. From the haunting strains of the Bernard Herrmann's majestic score, through the disturbing credit sequence designed by Saul Bass, the tremendous performances from James Stewart and Kim Novak (never better), to the chilling, horrifying climax, Vertigo never fails to make me smile with fondness at great film making and to also make me despair because films just aren't this good anymore. From the first frame to the last, you are trapped in the mind of Stewart as he tracks down this elusive, mysterious blonde, who will lead him into the very heart of darkness and obsessive love. With an ending guarenteed to shred your heart, Vertigo never loses its appeal for me. Like all cinematic landmarks (Citizen Kane, Paths Of Glory, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and many others) Vertigo belongs to a small collection of masterpieces which define the true sense of cinema. Miss this at your peril!!! 100/10!!!