Love Can Be A Deadly Game.

Rating: 10/10 (21 April 2018)

Scottie( James Stewart) is an ex-detective who had to quit the police force due to his acrophobia. He still has dreams about a case, where he is chasing a suspect on a rooftop. When he loses his grip and falls holding on to the spouting, that's when his Vertigo begins. A cop tries to reach out to get him, but fails falling to his death.
Scottie has a good friend Mitch( Barbara Bel Geddes); she has been by his side ever since the accident. She is also very fond of Scottie, in fact I believe they were close to being married at one time. Mitch designs undergarments as well as paints. One day Scottie is over at Mitch's just talking. Scottie tells her about his Acrophobia and he tries some exercises to see if he can reduce it some or get rid of it. When Scottie gets ready to leave Mitch explains that the only way it can be cured is by a sudden event.
Scottie goes to see about a job through a Galvin Elstreem( Tom Helmore). Galvin wants to hire him to follow his wife Madeline ( Kim Novak). Galvin believes a long dead relative, a Carlotta Valdize has taken possession of her. When this happens she is no longer Madeline, she becomes Carlotta. When this happens she goes into a trance, and becomes Carlotta. Galvin also claims his wife becomes suicidal, under these episodes. At first, Scottie passes on the job, but then decides to accept the case.
The next day, Scottie follows Madeline from a mission cemetery to an art gallery. Here she sets a stare at her beautiful relative in a portrait; The Portrait of Carlotta. Scottie follows her from the hotel she is staying to various other places around San Francisco watching her, her behavior, E.T.C.. She goes to a swank flower shop and purchases a bouquet of pink roses. Then she drives to San Francisco Bay. Scottie notices how she slowly moves to the bottom, then starts throwing in the roses. All of a sudden she jumps into the bay, when he sees this he jumps in to save her. That night he takes her back to his apartment where she is resting comfortably. When she wakes up she is started, and wonders where she is. He tells her what happened, but she has no memory of what happened. He asks her a few more questions, before he calls Galvin back. When he calls Galvin she flies the coup. As the movie progresses he develops a relationship with her. One night Mitch drives up; and sees Madeline come out of his apartment. She is upset and leaves, latter she paints a portrait of her as Carlotta to get even. It's cruel, and it costs her a movie date with her friend.
Scottie continue's the case, and Madeline tells him about the dream she keeps having. A Spanish mission that she believes is a calling from Carlotta. Scottie describes the place and tells her it's the San Juan Batista. It's 90 miles south of San Francisco. He calms her down and tells her they will travel there tomorrow.
They travel there, and everything she described is there. When they get close to the Spanish mission tower, Madeline has a request. She wants to go up to the tower alone. When she quickly runs into the tower, Scottie goes after her. He only gets so far up to the tower his Acrophobia strikes. All of a sudden we see Madeline fall from the top and killing herself. After this happens an inquest is done; but no crime is committed.
One night Scottie has a nightmare where he sees Madeline fail over and over, and he is unable to help her. This dream was so severe that it causes him to have a breakdown. This sends him to a Psychiatric hospital, where he is completely detached . The one who has been by his side the whole time is Mitch. Mitch talks to the doctor about his prognosis. The doctor explains he could be there for 6 mths. to a year.
A year passes and Scottie has been release. He she's a car that used to belong to Madeline and asks the lady where she got it. She explain a Galvin Elster sold it to her. He is obsessed He notices a woman Judy Barton who looks like Madeline except for the hair. He follows her to her room at a hotel, asks her a few questions. They start a relationship where he molds her to look exactly like Madeleine; the same hair, clothes, everything. She doesn't like it, but goes along with it to keep him happy. The relationship grows, and one night he finds out who she really is because of the old fashioned neckless. He is upset, so he decides before dinner to teach her a lesson.He travels back to San Juan Batista where it all happened. This is when Judy/Madeline knows he found out who she is. When they reach the top of the bell tower, she explains what happened. She is an actress hired by Gavin to pose as his wife; because she looked so much like her. He was planning on killing his wife, and needed the perfect double. Galvin new if he hired you to follow me he could pull it off, because of the Vertigo. Gavin got away with murder and Judy was given money and the neckless, which gave her I.D. away at the end. When they were both arguing a nun comes up to the tower because of the commotion. It startles Judy that she loses her balance and falls to her death.
In conclusion, this is one of Hitchcock's best movies. It shows the darker side of married life; and the length they will go to get rid of their spouse. Sometime I wonder why not just get a divorce, but some people will always choose the quicker path. I recommend this hit to everyone, and if marriage dosen't work the second time, give up. Remember there is no such this as the perfect crime.