• From Saul Bass’ gorgeous opening credits with Bernard Herrmann’s score (it has to be his finest, right?)—it is clear this film is different- even for Hitchcock—both his most ambitious film, the height of his perfectionism– and the greatest crystallization of his exposed psychosis on screen

it is clear this film is different- even for Hitchcock—both his most ambitious film, the height of his perfectionism– and the greatest crystallization of his exposed psychosis on screen

the opening credits are a work of art in and of itself

  • The famous dolly zoom (used superbly in Jaws, Goodfellas and Road to Perdition amongst others) is set up early in the opening chase as Stewart’s Scottie looks down dangling from the roof
  • At 17 minutes we get the first of many scenes at Ernie’s restaurant- the beautiful plush red velvet décor. Flowers galore in the mise-en-scene throughout and of course the fixation on the color green- starting with Kim Novak’s emerald dress. Hitchcock’s’ camera glides effortlessly and unhurried across the room—hypnotic—approaches her back and lines her up in profile for the first time of many (a repeated formal shot). A strong sequence

At 17 minutes we get the first of many scenes at Ernie’s restaurant- the beautiful plush red velvet décor. Flowers galore in the mise-en-scene throughout and of course the fixation on the color green- starting with Kim Novak’s emerald dress. Hitchcock’s’ camera glides effortlessly and unhurried across the room—hypnotic—approaches her back

lines her up in profile for the first time of many (a repeated formal shot). A strong sequence

  • Much of the next 10 minutes is a silent, detailed detective film just tailing Novak. It is Hitchcock’s show—but I’m sure glad we have Herrmann’s radiant score to accompany us. Scottie is falling in love (that’s being kind)—watching her buy flowers, go to the cemetery, the museum. Hitchcock points out her hair silently with his camera, her holding the flowers like the Carlotta Valdes painting (creating his own painting in the museum in the meantime). We’re building the narrative and compiling the story of course- but we’re also building up Stewart’s fixation on her.

a cinematic painting that belongs in a museum — of a painting in a museum- haha

  • There are a series of cinematic paintings in this film from Hitchcock that are as fine as he’d ever produce—it may not get better than his Golden Gate Bridge oil painting at 42 minutes- again- a wordless sequence

There are a series of cinematic paintings in this film from Hitchcock that are as fine as he’d ever produce—it may not get better than his Golden Gate Bridge oil painting at 42 minutes- again- a wordless sequence

  • Such patience in the narrative- establishing character- again we’re just stalking Novak as the hook is clearly in Stewart’s character
  • At 58 minutes – another of those landscape paintings that should be on some art collector’s wall somewhere- the green car (yep—green) front left of the frame (makes a great pair with the golden gate painting) with the two “wandering” in the forest.  The “always green” giant Sequoia redwood trees in Muir woods—“oldest living things”- suicide—finite. We also get the circles used again and again and set up in the opening Saul Bass credits.

At 58 minutes – another of those landscape paintings that should be on some art collector’s wall somewhere- the green car (yep—green) front left of the frame (makes a great pair with the golden gate painting

  • Greens galore, his sweater, her sweater, the car—all leading up to the greatest use of the color green on film in the hotel empire
  • The staircase dolly zoom again here as the first half of this book closes- it isn’t a long film but this certainly would be where you put the intermission after Madeleine’s fall
  • At the 84 minute mark we get the color-coated red-flashing nightmare surrealism sequence—the dismembered head of Stewart’s, his silhouette falling from the top of the mission tower—just 90 seconds of creative experimental cinema at its finest

the color-coated red-flashing nightmare surrealism sequence—the dismembered head of Stewart’s, his silhouette falling from the top of the mission tower—just 90 seconds of creative experimental cinema at its finest

  • So much to peel back here as auteur cinema- Midge’s character says “mother is here” to Stewart’s character in the asylum. He’s damaged-see’s Novak’s Madeleine all over the place.
  • The doppelgänger (of course turns out not)- the influence of Hitchcock- and Vertigo specifically on De Palma and Lynch is incalculable. Of course De Palma just straight up remade it and called it Obsession but has elements of Vertigo from the 360 shot no down in almost all of his films. Blue Velvet doesn’t seem possible without Hitchcock.
  • Stewart is mesmerizing—I mean this is one of cinemas greatest actor’s finest hour (and why not? I mean this is maybe the greatest director’s greatest film)—but Novak is also no slouch either. Her look at the camera after meeting Stewart again- this time as the brunette Judy—very well done. “the powerfully carnal Kim Novak” – David Kehr- https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/vertigo/Film?oid=3677239
  • Hotel Empire’s neon greens—gob-smacking–dazzling. I don’t remember an earlier (or better) use of neon street light in cinema. This has been borrowed from many many times including Chazelle’s La La Land. We see Novak’s profile again- this time in silhouette at 104 minutes- a masterful formal touch call back to the first time he met here- along with being a stand-alone striking image

We see Novak’s profile again- this time in silhouette at 104 minutes- a masterful formal touch call back to the first time he met here- along with being a stand-alone striking image

  • At 106 minutes the third of fourth jaw-dropper of a moving oil painting on the screen as the couple walks around the pond
  • Scottie’s obsession, his fetishism—disturbing—he’s monomaniacal “the gentleman seems to know what he wants”. The acrophobia is almost a red herring for what really ails him. One of cinema’s greatest (and most horrifying) characters as he molds Judy back into Madeleine.
  • Green pouring in again after his transformation and possession of Judy back into Madeleine is complete. There’s almost a release as he finishes and perfects her hair at the 116 minute mark and then we get one of cinema’s most singularly brilliant moments/scenes and shots—the 360 degree kiss in the hotel room. The neon green bathing them, the camera dancing with them as the background shifts from the hotel room to the mission and back to the hotel room—cinematic ecstasy

    it wasn’t until my Antonioni study a few years ago that I’ve come to appreciate shots like this- posing, blocking, different depths of field— a stunner here– not saying Antonioni influenced Hitchcock or vice versa– just admiring how both great auteurs use body blocking and poses in a frame to tell a story (and create a great image)

expressionistic greens pouring in again after his transformation and possession of Judy back into Madeleine is complete.

one of cinema’s most singularly brilliant moments/scenes and shots—the 360 degree kiss in the hotel room

  • I forget how quickly the film actually ends after that moment- he discovers the secret and we’re off to the mission with the third and final sequence of the vertigo-induced dolly zoom. Some of Stewart’s finest acting in his career is on the way up the stairs as he abuses Judy—I think the film would lose a little bit of its spell if Stewart isn’t absolutely magnificent here

the vertigo-induced dolly zoom

  • As the film ends- the camera whisks away leaving Stewart on the ledge…
  • A Masterpiece