Vertigo (1958)
Hitchcock’s masterpiece disorients audiences for the worse.
Presentation:
Hitchcock delivers his masterpiece of a truly cinematic thriller. The most notable aspect of this film’s presentation is the soundtrack, visuals and cinematic techniques. The film opens with one of the most memorable and trippy experiences that are as good as any modern bond film opening. The technicolor utilized in this film is vibrant and psychedelic, perfectly matching the tone of this story. The film also looks confusingly good for a film in 1958, perhaps it is the remaster, but it is pretty sharp with gorgeous bokeh. The star of this film is the unbelievably dramatic soundtrack, which is a bit heavy handed making the film feel as though it takes itself very seriously, which it does, but this ends up being a fault in my opinion. We also have the iconic implementation of the dolly zoom to illustrate vertigo and fear of heights. However there are some techniques such as the use of handheld zoom over a focus rack, which i felt to take me out of the experience. Long car sequences, stalking and some iconic car tailing.
Story:
Is it blasphemous to not like this masterpiece? The twist was indeed shocking and caught me off guard, but it is naturally overshadowed by thrillers today. It's a bit unfair to judge a film in this manner, but I maintain that logical consistency still needs to stand for a film of this nature. The script isn't believable at certain points which ruin the overall experience with an eye rolling ending. The whole premise is based on the correct assumption that James Stewart wouldn't be able to reach the top and witness the true murder. That's fine, but it doesn't make sense how the husband brought a dead body all the way up a watchtower without being seen going up or down. It relies on the audience to go with the flow not questioning the assumption that James Stewarts character would leave the scene after a death, which is too big a convenience. How did the culprits even escape at the end? How would no one see them fleeing the scene of the crime certainly in a car? Yet in the end a nun randomly appears because she hears a noise? And then Kim Novak is either startled or jumps off to her death for what can only be driven by a dramatic ending for the plot. Aside for the sake of a avant garde ending, I couldn't help but feel frustrated by this. Just why? James Stewart's character just makes no sense logically by today's standards. No one would actually stalk a woman and persist in making her dress up and force her to come to the same scene of the crime. If he knew her real identity, then he would also know that she knew as well and this climax should never really happen. But if you view this entire film as a roller coaster fever dream like many Hitchcock films, it might be passable.
Conclusion:
This is a very good film for its time, but no matter how dazzling you decorate a burger, if the beef isn’t good it’s hard to enjoy the meal. The film is beautifully avant garde and takes itself very seriously to impress upon and push the envelope of what a thriller is. But it’s a bit unrealistic, whether you can forgive the plot holes due to the age of this film will be up to you. It is distinctly Hitchcock in style, his best film, though I still prefer Rear Window and Psycho. in 2024, it’s still an experience, a treasure of the past to appreciate, but I’m not certain you will gain much from this film that’s a bit more shallow than it should be.
Recommendations
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