An Absolute Masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (11 May 2019)

Hitchcock's Vertigo is nothing short of a masterpiece. From the opening titles, the viewer is told that this is going to be a suspenseful, surreal, and almost trippy experience. Scotty's slow descent into near madness is played out right before the viewer's eyes in a way that makes them feel for Scotty, even as he all but physical tortures and psychologically manipulates another person. On the other hand, we feel for Madeline, despite her involvement with the murders, as we see her as the victim of Scotty's mechanisms. This method of getting us to feel for rather morally gray characters is something hitchcock excels well at, and his expertise at storytelling is certainly on full display here. His use of color and extreme dream sequences help showcase both the plot and inner workings of the characters at play, but also show, once again, that Hitchcock is a master of actual suspense that can feel so rare in modern films. The slow build up to an even slower dedication of it's cast and dismantling of a sense of security and morality make Vertigo an incredible film to watch. And while it's ending is thematically relevant and really ties the story together, the sudden way in which it is presented and then faded to black is really the film's only low point, as it seems rather strange and almost laughable as the film ages.