The Obsessive Power of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo

Rating: 10/10 (12 April 2005)

Synopsis: A retired detective (James Stewart) with vertigo spies on and becomes obsessed with an old acquaintance's wife (Kim Novak) whom the husband feels is possessed by one of her dead relatives.
Review: Vertigo was a personal project for director Alfred Hitchcock; arguably his most personal work. Vertigo is more than a brilliant suspense film; at its heart it is a story about obsession and the struggle to let go.
James Stewart gives one of the great performances in the history of cinema with his dark portrayal of Scottie, an obsessed detective with a fear of heights. Kim Novak is also excellent as Madeleine, the woman at the center of Scottie's obsession. Hitchcock, with his pristine craft, utilizes his directorial abilities by using camera-techniques, fog filters, beautiful and rich colors, mirrors, and Bernard Herrmann's haunting musical score to help the audience journey into the mind of Scottie as well as to accentuate Scottie's journey into the depths of his obsession.
Vertigo is one of the greatest films ever made and it is the ultimate testament to Hitchcock's brilliance.