A One of a Kind Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (28 November 2000)

There are several reasons why writing this review of Vertigo is difficult for me. It has become my favorite film of all time. Bernard Herrmann (who wrote the film score) is one of my favorite composers, and to try to explain the film to someone unfamiliar with it without destroying the plot is absolutely impossible.
I've seen several copies of the film over the years (in various stages of wear and tear), but if you have never seen this film before, be sure to get the completely restored DVD version.
In a word, the film deals with obsession. At the beginning of the film, Kim Novak plays a woman who is obsessed with the spirit of a dead woman. Her husband, concerned for her safety hires James Stewart, a retired detective to trail her and keep an eye on her. Stewart himself becomes obsessed with Novak. It should also be mentioned that in the very first reel of the film, Stewart realizes that he has vertigo, and decides (also obsessively) to rid himself of that affliction.
That's about all that one can say about this film without totally ruining it for someone who has never seen it. It is the way that all the elements of filmmaking come together that make this a film like none other. There are scenes in the film that, through the use of fog filters and extreme camera angles, one begins to feel as if the reality has vanished completely. There is a a scene in a graveyard, at the Golden Gate Bridge, and in a forest that have the texture of Impressionistic paintings "come to life". Hitchcock so brilliantly weaves these reality and non-reality scenes together that the audience member soon has trouble identifying where one ends and the other begins.
I believe that this is both James Stewart's and Kim Novak's finest acting achievement. The range of emotions that each go through (especially Novak) will astound you.
The score by Bernard Herrmann adds the perfect touch to this film, and I believe that without his contribution, the final result would have been much less effective.
From the spinning Saul Bass credits at the beginning (which can be absolutely nauseating when seen on the big screen!) through the final scene, we see some very sincere characters end up coming full circle with their tragic destinies.
Vertigo has so many layers to its structure that one must see the film several times to realize this. It is a film that will never be the same once you have seen it the first time. Even knowing that, it seems to grow and mature with each viewing.
How I envy those who have not yet seen this film!