Review of Vertigo (1958) by Gabe C — 26 Mar 2014

A story about obsession and human weakness, where our "hero" is actually a fractured and wounded victim and where his romantic interest is desperately trying to leave the past behind her, but so wants the hero to love her that she allows him to change her into something she's not, never was, and never will be.

Jimmy Stuart masterfully plays against type as John "Scotty" Ferguson, an ex-cop who suffers from severe acrophobia and takes on a detective case for an old friend, unaware just how deeply entangled he will become in the case and how the ultimate outcome will end up wounding his psyche, leaving him obsessed with the girl he was trailing and fell in love with.

Stuart is not all that likable here, and is even disturbing and scary at times as he goes about desperately trying to control events that are beyond his control and trying to recreate things that just can't be recreated.

Kim Novak is hot as hell and sells her role beautifully, easily drawing the audience into her story. She too is a victim of sorts. The cinematography is fantastic (where Hitchcock encourages and allows our eyes to wonder over Novak, it's also perfectly surreal at times and shows off the beauty of San Fran a good deal as well), and the score is beautiful and haunting.

Vertigo is a film with many different layers. It's a tragic story where no one wins in the end, and everyone leaves a little bit more hurt than they were before. It's a masterpiece, and not only is it Hitchcock's absolute best, it's also one of the greatest films ever made.