Ridiculously good.

Rating: 10/10 (3 May 2007)

I've only seen Vertigo twice but without a doubt it is one of my favourite films of all time. I admire everything about it from the beautiful locations and scenery to the haunting score by Bernard Herrmann, not to mention the intriguing plot which enhances the themes of the movie especially with multiple viewings. Some of the earlier scenes in the movie, for example, have magnified dramatic effect if the audience understands the position Madeleine is in.
Jimmy Stewart is perfectly cast as John "Scottie" Ferguson, a retired detective with acrophobia (fear of heights) who is persuaded by an old friend to temporarily spy on his wife. Her behaviour is gradually becoming more and more odd and unpredictable and her husband wishes to understand why. Needless to say, the plot thickens and is as intricate as any other Hitchcock movie.
One of the things that separates Vertigo from Hitchcock's other films however, is the dominance of the themes and characters over the suspense which is perhaps why many find it less entertaining than his other movies on first viewing. Once the central themes of Vertigo become clearer, I think very few films can have anywhere near as powerful an effect on their audiences. Several intense emotions such as love, guilt, obsession and regret are repeatedly experienced by the characters (and hence shared by the audience) and sometimes a mixture of these powerful emotions are present all at just one time.
The score for Vertigo is one of the most haunting, romantic and beautiful pieces of music I've ever heard. It succeeds in expressing yearning, tragedy, love and even hope; sometimes all at once. Generally, I think the more personal and passionate a movie is, the more important the role of the music being used in it becomes since the purpose of music is typically to set the mood and tone. More intense themes need more intense music. In the case of Vertigo, I think a huge amount of the power of the movie comes from the music by Bernard Herrmann, arguably one of the greatest scores of all time by one of the greatest composers of all time.
Vertigo is also very visually memorable and even haunting. It has images that you are unlikely to ever forget once you've seen it. The dream sequence in particular is amazingly effective and summarises perfectly the feelings of Scottie at that stage in the movie. As it certainly was for Scottie, Vertigo is an experience you are unlikely to ever forget.
As long as you watch it a couple of times :)