Vertigo (1958)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Stars: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes
Runtime: 128 minutes

Synopsis: A former police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with a hauntingly beautiful woman.

Performances: 9/10

Screenplay: 9/10

Editing: 10/10

Cinematography: 10/10

Score/Soundtrack: 9/10

Enjoyment Factor: 9/10

Verdict: Back in 1954, Alfred Hitchcock was only a few hours away from acquiring the rights to adapt Boileau and Narcejac's novel "Celle qui n'était plus" (French for "She who was no more") for the big screen, losing to Henri-Georges Clouzot who turned it into a personal favorite of mine in the genre: "Les Diaboliques". As a consolation prize, the novelists promised the British director that the rights to their next book would be his to adapt, and that's how Hitchcock got his hands on "D'entre les morts" (or "From among the dead") which became the foundation of one of his most acclaimed projects: "Vertigo".

The movie opens with a chase scene that ends when Officer John Ferguson, played by the always great James Stewart, finds himself dangling from the rooftop of a San Francisco building. While trying to help him up, his partner slips and falls to his death under the eyes of our lead, leading the latter to hand in his resignation and develop a fear of heights, known scientifically as acrophobia. However, and he was getting ready to hang his detective costume once and for all, he receives a call from an old acquaintance of his who manages to convince him to keep it on for one last assignment: spy on his wife who he believes is in grave danger. This is where Hitchcock's signature voyeurism comes into play. From a safe distance, we are invited to observe Madeleine's odd and mysterious behavior. Questions quickly arise, and we can't help but feel as confused about the situation as Ferguson, who naturally starts developing feelings for the married woman while ignoring the obvious signs of his ex-fiancée, Midge. We immediately understand that he's more interested in living in a fantasy, obsessing over a woman he barely knows, rather than facing the reality of an already established relationship. "Vertigo" is by nature a mesmerizing psychological thriller filled with unexpected twists and turns, but if you look past its surface, you'll also find it to be a sneaky romance as well as an intriguing character study of an obsessive character that reaches its peak in its iconic final act.

But one cannot talk about what was considered a critical failure at the time of its release without mentioning its technical aspects. Simply put, I believe "Vertigo" to be Hitchock's most beautiful picture. The way he uses camera tricks to replicate the illusion of dizziness felt by our lead whenever his fear kicks in is so convincing that it may very well give you a headache, but what stands out the most has to be the striking uses of red and green to build an atmosphere haunted by the themes of passion and envy. Whenever someone mentions the movie to me, three scenes immediately come to mind (the first being the moment in which we are introduced to Kim Novak's character, the second being a dream sequence, and the final one being a moment of shock and realization) because of the way they were shot, and not because of their significance within the narrative.

I don't know if I'd call "Vertigo" my favorite work by the Master of Suspense, but it's definitely a strong contender to take the top spot. Every positive thing you heard about it is likely true, and it's fully deserving of its classic status. If you're a fan of Cinema but are still putting it off for some reason, believe the hype and give it a try, I promise you won't regret it.

FINAL GRADE: 9/10