Review of Vertigo (1958) by Daniel K — 09 Jul 2013

5: This may be my favorite Hitchcock film. Rear Window and North by Northwest are right up there as well, with others not far behind, but there is something about Vertigo that just sparks the imagination.

Practically every scene seems carved in stone to me as if it must always have existed. It is that classic. The scenes in which Stewart follows Novak are without a doubt my favorites. This is how I picture San Francisco.

I am sure when I actually visit (anywhere but the airport) it will be a disappointment as I am sure much has changed. That's one of the most incredible parts about the film for me: the locations. The city is another character in the film just as vital as the leads.

And this is a director for which the self-contained set of Rear Window was the height of delight. He certainly worked well on location in other films like North by Northwest, To Catch a Thief, The Birds, and in his countryside romping pictures from his British days, but none seem to have played such an integral part as in Vertigo.

It is a mysterious, magical, exhilarating, suspenseful, and ultimately quite sad picture that helps define what the medium is capable of. It seems amazing that it has taken this long for the film to be recognized for what it is, an absolute masterpiece with few peers.

Truly spectacular and it looks amazing on Blu-Ray.