Psychological masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (18 September 2005)

No Alfred Hitchcock film has been picked at, dissected, debated, and analyzed as much as "Vertigo". There's good reason: "Vertigo" has the most complex and surreal storyline of any of Hitch's classics. The commercials you may have seenfor "Vertigo", the trailers, or the plot summaries are completely misleading. This is not a love story. It's not even about James Stewart's fear of heights. It's about the dark, twisted side of human nature and the atrocities we're capable of when we allow ourselves to be driven by fear, greed, illusions, and obsession.
John "Scottie" Ferguson (James Stewart) is a retired detective who's haunted by guilt over an accident that had an officer killed and left Scottie with a newly developed fear of heights. One day, Scottie receives an unexpected request by an old friend, Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) to shadow Elster's wife Madeleine (Kim Novak). Elster believes that Madeleine is being possessed by the spirit of her great-grandmother, Carlotta Valdez, a woman who went insane and committed suicide. Ester fears that Madeleine will suffer the same fate. So Scottie agrees to follow the strange and stoic Madeleine, a coldly beautiful blonde who moves as if sleepwalking. When she jumps into San Francisco Bay, Scottie rescues her and soon falls in love with her, and she with him. But as their relationship grows, Scottie's love turns into obsession, and it only escalates when it seems he is unable to protect Madeleine from Carlotta's vindictive spirit
If you are unfamiliar with what happens next, I will stop there. What happens next must take you by surprise. By 1958 Stewart had proved that he had range and a dark side in his acting, but never did he exemplify it more than in "Vertigo". His character goes on such a downward spiral that even after all that Scottie's been through, we're not so sure we want to root for him anymore. Kim Novak makes an inspired Hitchcock Blonde. With her stiff mannerisms, translucent skin, pale blonde hair and famous gray suit, she almost gives the impression of being encased in ice in the early outdoor scenes.
One of "Vertigo"'s biggest surprises is Barbara Bel Geddes as Scottie's close friend Midge. Bel Geddes (who died in August 2005 at the age of 82) is absolutely magnificent, bringing depth and refreshing warmth to a potentially thankless part. You really feel for Midge when Scottie, blinded by his infatuation with Madeleine, cruelly brushes their friendship aside and all but abandons Midge. On bad days I can't figure out what Scottie sees in frigid basket case Madeleine as opposed to warm and witty Midge.
Minor quibble aside, "Vertigo" is an honest-to-God masterpiece, with its hypnotic opening credits by Saul Bass, sinister, mind bending Bernard Herrman score, dizzying suspense scenes, and bizarre love story. It is not to be missed.