At the time Hitchcock’s Vertigo came out, the critical response was mixed. Premiering in San Francisco on May 9, 1958, the film performed very moderately at the box office and the critics found the film “too long” and was too “bogged down” in details. Now, almost 50 years later, Vertigo is considered somewhat of a classic suspense thriller and is often mentioned as one of Hitchcock’s finest films. Part of this change of popular critical opinion can be put to the French critics, as they began to re-evaluate Hitchcock and his films in the 1960s. Instead of seeing Hitch as merely a populist showman making films for the masses, the “Cahiers du cinema” began looking for something more.
It helped matters that film scholars started to consider Vertigo to be a significant film. The movie was also one of five owned by the Hitchcock estate that was removed from circulation in 1973. When it was re-released in 1983 to theatres and reached the home video market in 1984, the reviews were significantly different and Vertigo was considered a commercial success. Go figure. In 1989, it was recognized as “culturally significant” and was selected for the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress. Sight and Sound recognized it as one of the Best Films Ever Made and it started to show up on many top film lists. So then, is Vertigo one of the best films ever made or has it been influenced by other “smarter” bodies of critics so much so that the tide of opinion changed due to a sort of strange peer pressure?
Hitchcock’s Vertigo is a vision of an ultimately damned romance, a sort of idealistic suspense thriller. It is also an intense psychological study of a man’s twisted psyche and his obsession with romantic longing. The movie is also, as if it needed more layering, a riff on themes of voyeurism, manipulation, and sexual obsession for a blonde heroine. These themes have all been explored before by Hitchcock, of course, and some deem his unofficial trilogy of Rear Window, Vertigo, and Psycho to capture the abovementioned themes better than any other filmmaker. It is true that Hitchcock is the master of suspense, but it is also true that he understood the inner workings of man more than most filmmakers.
James Stewart stars as John “Scottie” Ferguson, a San Francisco cop with acrophobia. His acrophobia causes vertigo, rendering Scottie ineffectual in many situations as a police officer. As a result, he retires and spends a lot of time with a friend, Midge (Barbara Bel Geddes). One day, Scottie is hired by an old college pal, Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) to serve as a private detective and to follow his wife, Madeleine (Kim Novak). Gavin thinks that Madeleine is suffering from some sort of mental illness or demonic possession because she’s been acting strangely. Scottie reluctantly agrees to follow her and becomes strongly attracted to her. This romantic entanglement leads to some interesting situations, as Scottie and Madeleine become connected in one profound way after another. As usual with Hitchcock films, nothing is quite what it seems. We’ll leave it at that.
The screenplay is an adaptation of a Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac novel, Sueurs froides: d’entre les morts. The script was written from Hitch’s notes on the book by Samuel Taylor, who was used because of his enormous knowledge of the film’s backdrop, San Francisco. Taylor created a few things, such as the character of Midge, to add some depth to the story. Eventually, Taylor pulled a fast one and tried to assume full credit for the screenplay. The Screen Writers Guild determined that everyone deserved writing credit, however, and all was well after a minor hiccup.
Vertigo is a very strong film, filled with images and moments that demonstrate the severe obsession and peculiarity of the situations and characters. Hitchcock conducts the film fearlessly, as he revels in the abnormality of his characters. As we explore the nature of Scottie’s acrophobia and the subsequent vertigo, we learn more of the layering of his issue and his fears become more palpable. What is he afraid of? What causes his dizziness? What causes his fascination with Madeleine? There are many questions that the movie brings about and the answers are not necessarily pretty or gratifying. Instead, the answers are real. As tragedy strikes, ostensibly over and over in this splendid film, the dizziness mounts within.
Vertigo is not Hitchcock’s best film, but its madness and eerie romance set it apart from the rest of his catalogue in a very philosophical and compelling way. The characters resonate well and the performances are marvellous. Novak is gorgeous and Stewart’s maddening descent is always engaging. The direction from Hitch is, as usual, on point and the film’s score by Hitch stalwart Bernard Herrmann is haunting and effective. Vertigo is a tricky film in that it is complex and layered, but it is also one of Hitchcock’s most rewarding films and has one hell of an ending sequence. I highly recommend Vertigo for those wanting to how a suspense thriller should be done.
9.5/10
Trailer:
