Excellent, raving! The best Hitchcock film EVER!

Rating: 10/10 (9 December 2005)

Vertigo/1958/****
Main Stars: James Stewart Kim Novak
Alfred Hitchcock's "Vertigo" and "North by Northwest" are tied in first place. Followed close by "Rear Window" in second place and others in third, fourth and so on The first time I had seen this film was not that long ago and I only saw the second half of the film. The second time I saw it, I was in to it so much, I probably only blinked a half a dozen times. Everyone knows that you blink every six seconds but when I saw this film, I hadn't realized one blink at all! This is a movie I would add to my must-see/recommended list along with "The Untouchables" and other classic films. The main star in "Vertigo" is John Ferguson (James Stewart) who is afraid of heights ("I have acrophobia which gives me vertigo and I get dizzy", he says). This is one film where you are let me stress the word required to listen to the dialog. At first I hadn't listened to the dialog and so I was extremely confused. So what you have to do is listen very carefully to get the point (main point) of the movie. In this movie, Ferguson is madly in love with a woman named Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak). If you listen to the dialog in this film, you'll know why John had to go searching for her and to follow her every move. If you didn't listen to the dialog, too bad for you. This film is definitely Hitchcockian because it has drama, some scenes of humor, romance, mystery, suspense, everything you want from a Hitchcock film. One thing I was expecting was the cinematography. Hitchcock always has a great cinematographer to do his films. I think the same cinematographer probably does every one of his films. Alfred is also physically in his films. Not only does he direct, but he also has a cameo in each of his films. Every film of his I try to point out where he is and I always find him because of his distinctive look and his plump body. Of course he's no longer with us anymore because he was born in 1899 and not to many people live to be 106 years old (he would be that age if he was still around). His last film was in 1975 and it was called "Family Plot". Now there is a lot to the story of "Vertigo" but it's still interesting and easy to catch on to if you are a good listener. Now Madeleine (who's real name is Judy Barton) seems possessed in John Ferguson's eyes but he still loves her. She seems to not know where she is or why she's there when it comes to her great grandmother. Every day she goes to look at her great grandmother's grave and her portrait that hangs in a museum. John Ferguson is required by her "so-called" husband (you'll know what I mean when you see it) to follow her and see what she's up to. With John's former occupation of being a detective (now he quit the job and starts to wander), he was called back again by Judy's "so-called" husband to watch her. In my eyes, it's like a case that needs to be solved. Madeleine (real name Judy) tries to trick John Ferguson several times by falling in to the San Francisco Bay and others. This wonderful Hitchcock film (to me it is) has the biggest twist (in my opinion) of all his movies and the best one yet! What I mean by "yet" is I haven't seen every single one of his films yet but believe me; I will. Movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock.