Good, but the greatness eludes me.

Rating: 7/10 (11 April 2003)

The greatness of this film eludes me. It's certainly a good film, and I liked it, but whatever element this film has that makes it any better than the rest of Hitchcock's movies remains unseen by me. To be honest, the only idea that makes me value it any more than a standard Hitchcock thriller is its honesty -- that Jimmy Stewart's controlling nature over Kim Novak parallels Hitchcock's own controlling nature over his actresses.
The most thrilling moment of the entire film, for me, was the opening credits, with those classic spirals and the first hint of Bernard Herrmann's great score.
The story is simple: a cop (Jimmy Stewart), after watching one of his buddies fall to his death, contracts vertigo and acrophobia and leaves the force. Then, one day, when an old school friend calls him to keep an eye on his wife (Kim Novak) who's been acting strangely, believing she's someone else, he gets involved once more. Stewart falls in love with Novak, whom he saves from drowning in the San Francisco Bay, but her aloof nature and apparent psychological damage prevents her from returning the love.
Then something happens that would be criminal to give away.
I just don't see what makes this movie great, or stand out among Hitchcock's other work. Is it really because it's so personal? Maybe there's something I'm missing, maybe there are subtleties placed throughout the film that I didn't get and that I've completely misunderstood the point of the movie. As far as I can see, though, the film's "complex" message is that love is either one big trick or a perverted obsession. (Either that, or I'm forced to venture desperately into dream territory: "Oh, you know, everything after so-and-so was a dream, and that, therefore, makes the movie real complex.")
I admire the film's craft, and I didn't find it boring or anything, but I was expecting something very complex, much more than this. I also felt for the heartbroken Stewart, as well as the Midge character, his admirer. I could also sympathize with Novak's character, as she's manipulated by Stewart.
Aside from the opening credits, which I adore, my favorite part of the movie may well be the restaurant where we first see Novak. That incredibly red room must have influenced Peter Greenaway when he made "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover." There are also a few camera moves that are nice, and thanks to the terrific transfer, the colors, images, and sounds (which are essential to the film's appeal) are impeccable.
While I want to understand what it is people feel that makes them call this movie great, and I'll see it again sometime, I'm not going to re-watch it just so I can "get" it. I'm generally not a fan of re-watching movies to discover their greatness -- I find most people who do that are, in effect, lying to themselves the second time, convinced that they "get" it. I hate to be part of the dissent, especially when favorites of mine like "Fargo" have an equally enthusiastic following that denounces them as completely unexceptional. But as it stands, this movie is just a well-crafted, more-personal-than-usual thriller.
***