Vertigo is NOT a Hitchcock film!

Rating: 9/10 (24 June 2000)

No, I am not grotesquely stupid. I realize perfectly well that Vertigo was indeed directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The point of the summary of my comments is to express my opinion about this fantastic film.
A lot has been said about Vertigo on this page, so I will try not to repeat much of it here. (No spoilers either!) Many people say that Vertigo falls short of the typical suspense thriller that we have come to expect from Hitch. And to that I say so what? So what that the revelation of the murder comes during the middle and not the end? Hitchcock made a different kind of film here, and I don't think it should placed alongside the body of his work.
I first saw Vertigo about 7 years ago with an old girlfriend, who had the bad habit of not paying attention to films. This particular screening, it rubbed off on me. After watching it I had no idea what it was about, and always meant to watch it again. I never did until AMC's recent Film Preservation Festival. And when I saw Vertigo- paid strict attention to it from start to finish- I was blown away.
My advice to people watching this film for the first time is this: if you have seen other Hitchcock films, forget about them. If you've seen Jimmy Stewart films, forget about his typical "nice guy" character. You will get a lot more out of the film if you do. (By the way, I love Stewart in roles like those of L.B. Jeffries and Ben McKenna.)
Vertigo is perhaps the most painstakingly detailed film I have ever seen in terms of cinematography. Each and every shot is a carefully composed painting. Someone remarked "Where is everyone else in San Fran? It seems to be only Stewart and Novak in the whole city." To me this is an essential element for the dark, brooding mood of the film. Because of the starkness, the lack of people in the shots, the film grabs your attention. Even if the story had been mediocre (and it was NOT by a long shot), I would have been satisfied watching this series of cinematic compositions and breathtaking effects. It was so refreshingly different from any other film I have ever seen, and I doubt that anything comparable has ever been made.
Back to the comparison with other Hitch films for a moment. When I think of Rebecca, Notorious, and Rear Window, for example, I think of watching a fun, suspenseful film- thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. You know who the bad guys are, and you know the heroes will come through in the end. The beauty of these films is the masterful storytelling, the intricate, almost flawless plots. Vertigo is not that kind of film. It was almost difficult to watch, seeing the hopelessness of Stewart and Novak's characters, watching their fates unfold. And there is plenty of suspense, even after the revelation of the murder. It is the characters in this case that are more important. What will happen to them after all the lies and deceptions? The ending is perhaps questionable, perhaps a little too abrupt, but it provoked a strong emotional response from me- an atypical reaction to Hitchcock films.
Kudos to everyone that was involved with this film. I hope to see it on DVD soon, as it seems a film worthy of the spectacular video and audio of that medium. Vertigo is truly a masterpiece of cinema- and yes, a great Hitchcock film!