I’ve chosen film for my first post. In my opinion Alfred Hitchcock’s 1958 psychological masterpiece Vertigo is THE greatest film! I’ve held this view since before it knocked Citizen Kane off the top spot of BFIs “50 Greatest Films Of All Time”. I must have seen it over a hundred times. This is partly what inspired me to visit San Francisco and experience many of the locations first hand. Such as Old Ford Point, the Mission district, and Coit Tower. These distinctive landmarks are such an integral part of the film. I was struck by how little they’d changed all these years later.
It’s such a treat to watch Vertigo in the cinema because I allow myself to spend two immensely enjoyable hours in another world. With each viewing I never tire of discovering something new and intriguing. There are so many metaphors relating to falling and losing control. It might be a motif, shot, prop, or section of dialogue that enriches the plot, or suggests something I’d never contemplated.
Vertigo’s overarching theme concerns the obsessive dark nature of humanity which I believe we can all identify with to some extent. The timeless San Francisco locations add another level of melancholy to the proceedings. Each scene being carefully planned and executed to build the sense of mystery and foreboding that drives the film. This is further enhanced by Bernard Herrmann’s evocative haunting score.
The memorable portrayal of the central characters John “Scottie” Ferguson and Madeleine Elster/Judy Barton, is testament to the top notch direction, and James Stewart and Kim Novak’s outstanding acting abilities. Look out for Hitchcock’s trademark cameo appearance outside the shipyard, just before Scottie’s meeting with Gavin.
Essentially the film can be divided into two parts; before and after Madeleine’s death. The first part carefully lays the foundation for the more complex second part. It begins with an experience that causes Scottie to learn he suffers from Vertigo. He discusses the implications of his condition with his university friend and ex-fiancee Midge. Next his university contemporary Gavin Elster asks Scottie to trail his wife Madeleine due to her increasingly disturbed behaviour, which stems from the suicide of her ancestor Carlotta Valdes. So Scottie begins following the enigmatic Madeleine.
First to the florist’s, the Mission Delores graveyard containing Carlotta’s grave, the Palace Of The Legion Of Honour art gallery displaying Carlotta’s portrait, and lastly to the McKittrick hotel after which the trail goes cold. This section contains music and very little dialogue, which allows us to engage more fully with Scottie’s character. It also includes us in this voyeuristic activity. The two finally meet after he saves her from drowning and their relationship deepens into love, but his Vertigo means he’s unable to save her when she falls from a tower.
Near the start of the second part, a devastated Scottie suffers a mental breakdown. He’s unable to live without this ethereal beautiful (yet unknown to him) manufactured woman. Upon his recovery one year later the San Francisco setting now appears slightly seedy and grim, reflecting his fragile emotional state. The obsessive tendencies he had are exacerbated and spiral out of control. He’s become obsessed with the past!
Scottie visits their old haunts and desperately wanders the streets, until he sees Judy who reminds him of Madeleine. He follows her to her hotel, tells her his story, and engages her sympathy to the point that she agrees to have dinner with him. The twist is revealed via flashback before the film’s conclusion so the audience aren’t kept guessing. Instead we redirect our perspective, and engage our imagination to consider how this scenario might play out.
I’m always fascinated by Scottie’s transformation of Judy into Madeleine, it’s undertaken voraciously and he’s never satisfied. He’s unable to arouse passion for her until she looks identical to Madeleine. The fact Judy kept Madeleine’s grey suit and necklace implies her belief that this character was real, and she wasn’t merely playing a part. This pairing of these two lost souls works because they’re trying to recapture a lost fantasy. Like most fantasies it can’t possibly live up to reality.
I love the sumptuous colour throughout this film; especially the deep reds, blues, and greens in the scenes in Ernie’s restaurant. Red signifies passion and death; a strong indicator of what’s to come. Green suggests rebirth, a precious and rare quality, but also envy and features heavily in the costumes and props of Madeleine and Judy.
When Scottie first lays eyes on Madeleine she’s wearing a shiny green wrap. Her car is green. Judy’s wearing an aqua green dress and holding a matching cardigan when Scottie first sees her. She wears a green pencil skirt when they go walking along the river, and a green flared skirt when Scottie takes her shopping. At night green neon light reflects on Judy from outside her Empire hotel room window in a profile shot. The same light surrounds Judy when she emerges reincarnated as Madeleine, injecting the scene with a supernatural quality.
On two occasions Scottie loses the woman he loves in similar circumstances, but both women were illusions. I always find it unsatisfactory that the husband Gavin Elster gets away with murder, not to mention his betrayal of a friend. Whereas the woman who is made over twice by men, losing her identity in the process, is fatally punished.