Review of Vertigo (1958) by Marco F — 05 Jul 2014

The great Alfred Hitchcock feared, was confused by and hated women- particuarly blonde-haired women. He didn't understand why women- whom he looked at as an alien race- in his eyes behaved the way they did and do the things they do. He took out his confusion on his filmmaking, which few, if any directors can rival him in that field. A number of Hitchcock films have a or many a blonde woman whom is portrayed as icy and remote, and is subject to dreadful treatment from other characters.

But the main female role here, uncommon for a Hitchcock film- is a very sympathetic character. And VERTIGO, Hitchcock's 1958 masterpiece about a woman involved in a clever deception, wasn't well recieved upon release then, but is now regarded as highly as REAR WINDOW and PSYCHO. It is quite simply one of the best movies ever made- a movie that is really on another level of greatness, even to other great films- it is in that category of select films that can be considered the greatest of the great films.

The film stars Jimmy Stewart (in one of his best ever performances, surely) as a private detective hired by a friend to follow his wife and learn more about her recently strange behavior. Little does Stewart know how complicated in every respect his job-turned escapade will be.

If Stanley Kubrick was the greatest ever movie artist, Hitchcock was certainly the most skilled for-hire movie director- no question. In terms of plot directing, this is for my money the best directed movie of all time. There is one scene in this movie where all the emotional strife and intracies come together so beautifully in such a resounding, satisfying way- and it happens at the height of Stewart's obsession. It is one of the best scenes ever put on film.

There is not one narrative or directing misstep in this masterpiece- which I have come to appreciate even more than before. It is one of the great movies ever made- I was so wrapped up in the intracies of the complex plot and the emotions of these characters that I was shouting back at the screen. That is for me the height of the pleasure of watching movies- I have seen more than 2,000 movies; and only 10-15 movies have made me do that. VERTIGO is one of those movies.