Review of Vertigo (1958) by Marlenne R — 05 Aug 2013

In 1952, the British magazine Sight & Sound had asked the world's best film critics to put together their lists of the ten greatest films of all time. Every ten years since then, they've continued doing this poll and Citizen Kane has kept on maintaining its #1 spot since 1962. But as we've all heard last year, the outstanding streak of Citizen Kane has been put to an end as another film has taken over the #1 spot in its place. That film is none other than Alfred Hitchcock's 1958 classic, Vertigo.

Now many people are probably curious about my answer to this question: is Vertigo really the new Citizen Kane? My personal answer to that question is yes. With all due respect to Citizen Kane, I always thought Vertigo had a more intriguing, complex story, more compelling drama, and is just as artistically accomplished in its cinematography as Citizen Kane ever was. Like I mentioned in my review of Rear Window, no list such as the Sight & Sound's can change the fact that we all have our own opinion regarding what our favorite film is. But in regards to this particular development, I think Vertigo being crowned the #1 film on the list is a step in the right direction.

In Vertigo, we follow John "Scottie" Ferguson (James Stewart), a retired detective with a great fear of heights, as famously shown in the opening scene when he's hanging on the edge of a rooftop, who reluctantly agrees to do a case for an old college friend (Tom Helmore). This case requires him to keep an eye on his friend's wife (Kim Novak) who is allegedly possessed to commit suicide. One day on the job when he sees her try to commit suicide by jumping into the San Francisco Bay, he rescues her and takes her to his home to rest and recover.

What later results is a relationship that quickly becomes one of the most unique and fascinating love stories ever put on celluloid. I'm going to avoid giving away the big plot twist in the middle of the picture. Just let me tell you that it's not only surprising the first time you see it as it should be, but it also adds more drama and complexity to the rest of the picture, including the central romance, as a good plot twist should do.

James Stewart once again shows us his unbelievable versatility as an actor. With this role as well as his work in Rear Window and It's a Wonderful Life, we see the typically charming James Stewart persona with a little dark edge. Stewart is one of the few actors we can connect with no matter how dark certain characters he plays are. Whether he's wishing he was never born, intruding on his neighbor's privacy from a safe distance, or in this case falling in love with someone that reminds him of another person he loves, we somehow can find some aspect about his characters that we can relate to or identify with.

Kim Novak is also very good in this picture. I forgot to mention that she plays two characters in this film and she plays them both equally well. The other character she plays is another love interest that looks very identical to his other love interest to the point where that reason alone is why she loves her. If it sounds like it's complicated to describe, then it's easier to watch and obtain the connection between the two love interests first-hand since it's a crucial part of the plot twist.

I've stated earlier that Vertigo's Technicolor cinematography was artistically accomplished and I stand by that statement. Just like Hitchcock's earlier film To Catch a Thief, the colors just really pop out at you, especially with the scenes at the flower shop and the hotel room with the turquoise light. It's not just the colors and the lighting that make the cinematography exquisite, it's also the way they were shot particularly with the innovative shot known as the dolly zoom. This is basically when the camera is physically moving away from the subject while zooming in on it, which in turn enhances the distance or the height of the subject significantly.

The musical score by the great Bernard Herrmann is also fantastic. It enhances the mystery, the emotion, the drama and the mood of the story tremendously, but it also is very memorable and sticks in your mind for the next couple days, weeks, or months as great musical scores should. Often considered not only one of Hitchcock's finest works but one of the finest films in general and deservedly so, Vertigo stands the test of time very well and holds up to multiple viewings. So if you like Citizen Kane, you'll pretty much like this even more.