Hitchcock's Best Film

Rating: 10/10 (4 December 2018)

"Oh Scottie. I'm not mad. I'm not mad. I don't want to die. There's someone within me and she says I must die. Oh Scottie, don't let me go." This quote from Madeleine sure means more than just saying I don't want to die but it also means how we all feel when our loved ones left us which is a part of life. Hitchcock sure did a great job directing Vertigo which is now one of the movies that would live on forever in the history of cinema. The film is based on a book written Hitchcock's two favorite writers, the film takes on a psychological problem around the scores of real people. The protagonist is an Police detective named John "Scottie" Ferguson who is asked by an old college friend, Gavin Elster, if he would have a look into his wife Madeleine's odd behavior. Gavin is starting to believe that her odd behavior is the reincarnation of a woman who died many years ago and is concerned about her sanity. Scottie follows her and rescues her from an apparent suicide attempt when she jumps into San Francisco bay. He gets to know her and soon falls in love with her. They go to an old mission church and he is unable to stop her from climbing to the top of the steeple where she jumps to her death. Several months later, he meets Judy Barton, a woman who is the spitting image of Madeleine. He tries to recreate that women into Madeleine image by getting her to dye her hair and wear the same type of clothes. He soon begins to realize he has been duped, and was a pawn in a complex piece of theater that was meant to end in tragedy. The story told through this film was incredible, even though it felt a bit slow at some parts. However, that is exactly the case here. But I can see that Hitchcock drags us on to a long journey, because there is a reason it does that and the conclusion is more than satisfying. I loved my experience watching "Vertigo", it just felt like it took a bit too long to get to the point. From the screenplay to the acting, the overall atmosphere of this film screams brilliance. The film's ironic plot twist is the important factor that made this film amazing. Unlike a few of Hitchcock's previous films, Vertigo takes a decidedly mature look at murder. This film has a long history as well as a legacy unlike many of his other films. I think that "Psycho" would be the only true rival to this film, though this one feels more like a passion project than the former. It's not the type of film to watch over and over again. But it is surely a film that can be recommended over and over again to those who have not yet seen it. It is not at the top of Hitchcock's masterpieces, but it tries very hard to get there. "Vertigo" is surreal at times, and I loved it for that!