Vertigo (1958)
Written by Alec Coppel & Samuel Taylor
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
1998 List Ranking: 61
2007 List Ranking: 9
I mentioned in a previous review that I’m generally a fan of Hitchcock’s work, and that there was a period of time that I was heavily consuming his works. That time came to an end with Vertigo, which I remember I started watching and then stopped about halfway through. Before watching the film this time, I couldn’t recall exactly why I stopped watching in the first place. Having watched it all the way though, all I can say is: Oof.
Vertigo should really have been called Obsession, because that’s a really big aspect of the film. James Stewart is John “Scottie” Ferguson, a newly-retired police detective suffering from a newly-discovered case of acrophobia (the fear of heights) and vertigo, a condition which leads to the death of a fellow officer. Asked by an old friend to tail his erratically-behaving wife (Kim Novak), Scottie becomes ensnared in a plot full of intrigue, obsession, potential spiritual possession, and a dash of murder.
Ladies and gentleman…James Stewart
Okay. So. I’ll be honest that I found very few positive attributes about this film. It’s really strange that, in the years since it was released, its esteem has climbed higher and higher, especially against other (and better) Hitchcock films. Normally I talk first about the acting, but I think I need to incorporate that more into discussing the multitude of problems with the plot. First and foremost, Stewart’s character is ABSOLUTELY BONKERS. He is asked to tail his friend’s wife, and within a matter of days (like, literally maybe 3?) and about 2 conversations, HE KISSES HER (what a great friend!). Later, he does essentially the same thing with a different woman (SPOILER ALERT: it’s not), to the point where I have to ask: does Scottie just have the habit of following and falling for strange women? In hindsight, the “romance” (because I cannot seriously consider it as legitimate) makes sense in order for the plot to work (in the absolute loosest of terms), but in the midst of it I found myself incredibly frustrated: WHY is this romance a thing??
Kim Novak as Judy, made up to look like Madeline
The answer is…well, I guess there really isn’t one, because this movie doesn’t really know what it wants to be. It starts as something akin to a supernatural thriller as Novak, playing Madeline, seems be semi-regularly possessed by the spirit of her great-grandmother, a spirit who is hell-bent on killing her like she did herself. Got that? It’s weird, I know. However, none of that matters by the end because (SPOILER ALERT AGAIN), as we learn, NONE OF IT IS REAL, IT’S ALL JUST A PLOT TO MURDER A *DIFFERENT* WOMAN THAT WE LITERALLY NEVER MEET. So, we start as a supernatural thriller. Then we shift into a murder plot. Then we shift AGAIN into pure obsession/stalker territory as Stewart meets Judy, a different woman (or so Scottie thinks) who just happens to look EXACTLY like Madeline, whom he believes to be dead.
(I swear, I’m not intentionally trying to make the plot sound confusing, IT JUST IS)
“I don’t care what you want, DO YOUR HAIR THE WAY I TOLD YOU TO, DAMN IT”
Jolted into catatonia by the apparent death of Madeline (and then magically cured off screen because otherwise the plot would stop dead), Scottie instantly takes to this Madeline doppelgänger (BECAUSE SHE *IS*…OH NEVER MIND) and basically forces this woman to BECOME Madeline, altering her clothes and her hair, despite her pleas and her correct statements that she’ll never actually be Madeline (which…besides being correct, is also *correct* in terms of the plot: she’ll never be Madeline because, despite impersonating her, she never was her?). So, if you’re still with me, that’s three plots in one film, leaving me with the thought of…why? WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALL THIS?
Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Crazy Pills
The plot also brings up a high degree of uncomfortable-ness for a variety of reasons. First, once they’ve confessed their love to each other (but not her true identity), Stewart basically ignores Novak’s cries for mental help and basically just tells her to get over it. This woman is, to his knowledge, being possessed by her dead great-grandmother and THAT is his response. I know it’s the 1950’s and it’s not like we’re SO good with dealing with people’s mental health now, but GOOD LORD GET HER SOME PROFESSIONAL HELP. Also, there is a huge degree of “let me change everything about myself for a man” vibes from Novak as Judy as Stewart tries to make her look like Novak as Madeline. She tries (feebly) to stop him, but in the end, she DOES change everything about herself in order to get the man (Fun Fact: that’s also why I hate Grease!). Finally, she slips up and wears a necklace that belonged to the real Madeline that also was owned by the great-grandmother (who she might not even really be related to? LOOK JUST WATCH THE THING IT MAKES NO SENSE), and somehow the necklace literally spells out the entire murder plot that Stewart knew nothing about, even things that it really shouldn’t imply (“SHE had the necklace! YOU have the necklace! Therefore, you were his mistress!” Me: “…WHAT.”).
Okay. Positive things.
The dolly zoom, a cinematic innovation introduced in this film
I’ll admit that the special effects are pretty good, even though by now they’re pretty common place. Innovative for this film is the vertigo effect, achieved by use of a dolly zoom; it’s used semi-often now, but it’s still very effective, particularly to illustrate Stewart’s acrophobia. Stewart’s dream/nightmare sequence initially feels a bit out of place, but it’s actually a great bit of psychological storytelling. Finally, there is a great 360 shot of Stewart and Novak (as Judy) kissing as he flashes back from her hotel room to the stable where he kissed Madeline for the last time and back.
There are so many more issues than I have time to discuss (What is the meaning of the strong primary colors? Why are critical bits of the climax out of focus? WHAT ABOUT MIDGE?), but suffice it to say, I did not enjoy this film. It tries too hard to be too many things and loses itself along the way. Added to that are plot elements that no longer hold up and this film just feels…bad.
FINAL GRADE: D
