This Movie was Disappointing at First-Now, I Love It!

Rating: 10/10 (24 March 2014)

It's the movie that perfectly describes its name-Vertigo, the film often considered to be Hitchcock's masterpiece. The experience I had with this movie the first time I saw it was, pun-intended, vertigo-inducing. Vertigo was only the second Hitchcock film I saw and I wish somebody had warned me of what I was to expect. At the end, the first thing I said was "holy crap." If asked point-blank, I couldn't have been able to tell you whether I liked it or not because there were elements I liked and elements I didn't like but overall, it was an overwhelming experience and it may hold the record for the only movie I was ever afraid of. The plot is so tortuous, one really needs to view it multiple times to completely get the gist of it and become "immune" to it. A detective named Scottie Ferguson with a paralyzing fear of heights quits the San Francisco police force and then is hired by an old college buddy to follow the latter's wife, who has been displaying strange psychological behavior. Scottie becomes increasingly and dangerously obsessed with the cool blonde and ends up being driven to the brink of insanity. There are several things I love about this movie since as of this writing, I've seen it a total of five times. First and foremost, the acting is top-notch but then again, Hitchcock did get a top-notch actor in the always lovable Jimmy Stewart-well, he's actually not quite that lovable in Vertigo. Gone are the days of his "aw-shucks" persona in It's a Wonderful Life, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Rear Window. Stewart's performance in Vertigo is so complex and convincing, it disturbs me a bit-and it's a heck of a performance. In the beginning, he still retains a little of his old likable mannerisms but as the films progresses, he becomes darker and more agitated so that by the climax, his anger boils over to the point of him yelling at Kim Novak's character and throughout, his eyes have a crazed and tortured shine that I've never seen in any other film of his-and I've seen over twenty films of his. He completely pulls off the role of a necrophiliac sufferer of Freud's Repetition Complex and his habit of following Kim Novak-and later leering at women who bear a resemblance to her- are more than borderline stalker. This is really the only one of Jimmy Stewart's characters I don't like and if he can make me not like him, then I really must have some great evidence to support my statement of him being the greatest actor ever. But let's not forget Kim Novak's performance. She plays dual roles-which is really tough to pull off- and does it flawlessly. Anyone else in her role just would not have worked. Novak adds a certain haunting and hypnotic quality to the character of Madeleine that adds to her mystery and elusiveness. Also, I love the photography in this film-it's probably some of the most beautiful photography I've ever seen in a film period. There is a dreamlike quality and the pastel tone of the colors reminds me of a watercolor painting. Heck, it's so beautiful, it makes me want to go to San Francisco. The music is brilliant as well and almost makes you see swirling patterns. I think that Hitchcock truly captured lightning in a bottle with this movie and that there will never be another film like it. If I had to say anything against it, it would be just a personal thing. The nightmare sequence will probably always creep me out no matter how many times I see the movie. This movie is brilliant.