Review of Vertigo (1958) by Micah F — 07 Apr 2013

Hitchcock had a handful of memorable hits and many more forgettable misses over the course of his long career, but one film that stands out to many above and beyond the rest is his cerebral masterpiece, Vertigo.

So, what makes it so special to those of us who hold it in such high esteem? Well, perhaps the first element I could point to is how long it took for the public to "catch up" to this film's intelligence level and actually understand it well enough appreciate it. When it was first released, this movie did not turn heads or spark all that many post-viewing discussions if you want to go by the major press coverage at the time. Reviews were mixed, and even those who seemed to like the film often seemed to misunderstand it, or not even bother trying. If all you can do is fall back on the apparent "genius" of an artist without even bothering to question the validity of the artwork itself, you aren't necessarily giving the best form of praise.

So, what changed? Well, I submit that we did. While surreal psychological films still exist today, they don't always jive with the modern audience as well as they perhaps deserve to. Inception and Black Swan are two recent exceptions to the rule. But what if one day in the future a film released and largely disliked today would become re-evaluated and hailed as a misunderstood masterpiece? Would any of us have really seen it coming. Tastes and appreciations change greatly over time, and Vertigo, a film largely misunderstood for many years, has finally found its spot in history to shine. In a repertoire filled with sub-par films like Strangers On A Train that actually received much praise, it's an absolute sin that one of Hitchcock's greatest works still remains obscure to so many. Go watch it.