{"id":28420,"date":"2012-11-14T15:54:06","date_gmt":"2012-11-14T22:54:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=28420"},"modified":"2020-12-22T01:56:16","modified_gmt":"2020-12-22T08:56:16","slug":"vertigo-1958","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=28420","title":{"rendered":"Vertigo (1958)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;One doesn&#8217;t often get a second chance.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Poster-231x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"231\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-28426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Poster-231x300.jpg 231w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Poster-98x128.jpg 98w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Poster.jpg 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 231px) 100vw, 231px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA retired policeman (James Stewart) with a fear of heights is asked by his friend (Tom Helmore) to follow his beautiful wife (Kim Novak), who has recently become obsessed with her suicidal ancestor. Soon Stewart finds himself obsessively in love with Novak, and is devastated when events take a surprising turn for the worst.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Detectives and Private Eyes<\/li>\n<li>Framed<\/li>\n<li>Hitchcock Films<\/li>\n<li>Jimmy Stewart Films<\/li>\n<li>Kim Novak Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Obsessive Love<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary begins his review of what he refers to as &#8220;Hitchcock&#8217;s most perplexing film&#8221; by noting the significance of the opening scene (a &#8220;chase across a San Francisco roof&#8221;), which demonstrates how the lead character, &#8216;Scottie&#8217; Ferguson (Stewart), develops the debilitating vertigo that plagues him throughout the remainder of the film. He astutely points out that &#8220;after the cop who tries to save [dangling Stewart] plummets to his death&#8221;, &#8220;Hitchcock never shows [Stewart] being rescued&#8221; &#8212; thus, &#8220;by leaving Scottie in mid-air, Hitchcock instills in us the feeling&#8230; that Scottie has slipped into a surreal, dreamlike netherworld that exists between life and death, the present and the past, the real and illusionary&#8221;. He further notes that &#8220;because a cop died in his place, [a guilty] Scottie is attracted to death, which is embodied by the beautiful, ethereal, [suicidal] Madeleine&#8221; (a &#8220;well cast&#8221; Kim Novak). <\/p>\n<p>To say more about the film&#8217;s suspenseful, psychologically intense storyline is to immediately give away spoilers; unfortunately Peary&#8217;s entire review (like most you&#8217;ll find online) is simply riddled with them. Suffice it to say that a significant death occurs about halfway through the film, and a further critical plot twist is revealed about 2\/3rds of the way through &#8212; both of which should come as a deliciously unexpected surprise to novice viewers, thus adding to the film&#8217;s enduring legacy as a first-rate thriller. With that said, I&#8217;ll agree with Peary that the &#8220;unique and brilliant&#8221; structure of the film &#8212; in which &#8220;the picture becomes an intense, psychological character study of Scottie&#8221; rather than a potential murder mystery &#8212; is somewhat &#8220;infuriating&#8221;; like Peary, &#8220;I prefer the mystery unraveling to Scottie unraveling and becoming unbearably obsessive, tyrannical, and self-destructive&#8221;. Plus, as he notes, the surprisingly &#8220;tragic ending is&#8230; unsatisfying and depressing&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p><em>Vertigo<\/em> &#8212; which in recent years has steadily scaled the ranks of various highly regarded &#8220;best movie&#8221; lists, especially since a gorgeous restoration was completed in 1996 &#8212; is often cited as Hitchcock&#8217;s masterpiece, and certainly remains one of his most discussed and analyzed films. This is due in part to the fact that the story &#8212; in which middle-aged Stewart develops a near-pathological obsession with an aloof &#8220;icy blonde&#8221; &#8212; seems to mirror Hitchcock&#8217;s own idiosyncratic fascination with such women. However, while I admire the film on many levels, it&#8217;s ultimately not a personal favorite. Scottie&#8217;s treatment of Novak eventually becomes far too disturbing to easily stomach, and it&#8217;s not much fun to witness Hitchcock&#8217;s relentless assertion that when &#8220;given a choice of women, men are so weak they&#8217;ll always pick the helpless over the independent, the attractive over the plain, the frigid over the accessible, and the illusionary over the real&#8221; &#8212; indeed, the character of Barbara Bel Geddes&#8217; &#8220;Midge&#8221; (Stewart&#8217;s ex-fiancee, who harbors an enduring crush on him) is never allowed to become anything more than a sorry symbol for everything &#8220;normal&#8221; and healthy Stewart is rejecting. <\/p>\n<p>Yet regardless of how film fanatics may feel about the film&#8217;s ultimate ranking within Hitchcock&#8217;s pantheon, there&#8217;s much about it to enjoy &#8212; including Novak&#8217;s surprisingly nuanced performance(s), excellent use of Bay Area locales, and Bernard Herrmann&#8217;s justifiably celebrated score (one of his best). It remains a classic film ffs won&#8217;t want to miss viewing at least once &#8212; and likely more often, simply to absorb its complex psychological layering and storyline. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Jimmy Stewart as Scottie Ferguson<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Stewart.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Stewart.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-28423\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Stewart.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Stewart-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Stewart-300x160.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Kim Novak as Madeleine\/Judy<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Novak.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Novak.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-28428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Novak.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Novak-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Novak-300x160.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Barbara Bel Geddes as Midge<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Bel-Geddes2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Bel-Geddes2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-28424\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Bel-Geddes2.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Bel-Geddes2-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Bel-Geddes2-300x160.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine VistaVision cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-28429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Cinematography.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Cinematography-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Cinematography-300x160.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Good use of Bay Area locales<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Golden-Gate-Bridge.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Golden-Gate-Bridge.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-28425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Golden-Gate-Bridge.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Golden-Gate-Bridge-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Vertigo-Golden-Gate-Bridge-300x160.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Bernard Herrmann&#8217;s score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as one of Hitchcock&#8217;s most highly regarded classics. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Genuine Classic<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: (spoilers in nearly every review &#8211; be forewarned!)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0052357\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1958\/05\/29\/archives\/vertigo-hitchcocks-latest-melodrama-arrives-at-the-capitol.html\">NY Times Original Review (by Bosley Crowther)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s1747hitc.html\">DVD Savant Review (scroll down)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.filmsite.org\/vert.html\">Film Site Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/movies.tvguide.com\/vertigo\/review\/122059\">TV Guide Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.moriareviews.com\/fantasy\/vertigo-1958.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/library\/film\/100496hitch-vertigo-restored.html\">NY Times Review of Restored Version (by Janet Maslin)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/94742\/vertigo#articles-reviews\">TCM Articles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.reelviews.net\/php_review_template.php?identifier=128\">ReelViews Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/film\/reviews\/62922\/vertigo.html\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;One doesn&#8217;t often get a second chance.&#8221; Synopsis: A retired policeman (James Stewart) with a fear of heights is asked by his friend (Tom Helmore) to follow his beautiful wife (Kim Novak), who has recently become obsessed with her suicidal ancestor. Soon Stewart finds himself obsessively in love with Novak, and is devastated when events take a surprising turn for the worst. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Detectives and Private Eyes Framed Hitchcock Films Jimmy Stewart Films Kim Novak Films&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=28420\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28420"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59013,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28420\/revisions\/59013"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}