Vertigo (1958)
Vertigo is a must-see on many classics lists, but it took me three times to even understand the plot! Granted, I’m not an Alfred Hitchcock fan, so I’ll try to make my review as unbiased as possible.
James Stewart is the lead, as he was in Hitchcock’s Rope, Rear Window, and The Man Who Knew Too Much. He suffers from Hollywood’s definition of vertigo, which is much different than the actual medical definition, and after his illness inadvertently causes another man’s death, he’s forced to resign from the police force. While idle, he talks with his friend, Barbara Bel Geddes, and then accepts a job as a private detective to shadow a friend’s wife. Kim Novak plays the wife. If you’ve seen iconic footage of her in a sea-green-gray suit, that’s from Vertigo. She’s an extremely beautiful woman; it’s easy to see why Jimmy becomes obsessed by her. They have such great chemistry in both movies they made together. In the iconic scene, they both wear some beautiful expressions before they embrace, and since Hitchcock notoriously didn’t give any direction to his actors, the acting came straight from their hearts.
As always with a Hitchcock movie, the plot is tediously slow and contains numerous psychological issues that add to the twists and turns of the mystery. I sit through this one for love of the cast, but I prefer Jimmy and Kim’s reunion in Bell Book and Candle. This isn’t my favorite Hitchcock, but if you really like classic mysteries, you can rent this one on a foggy weekend. Better yet, take a weekend getaway to San Francisco, and then rent it. As a Northern California native, I certainly appreciated all the local footage, as well as how difficult it was to find sunny days at the Bay!
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. Bernard Herrmann will give you musical cues when James Stewart is about to get dizzy and Hitchcock is about to show his inventive "Vertigo" camera zoom. It will make you sick, but keep an ear out for your cue to look away. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More James Stewart movies here!
James Stewart is the lead, as he was in Hitchcock’s Rope, Rear Window, and The Man Who Knew Too Much. He suffers from Hollywood’s definition of vertigo, which is much different than the actual medical definition, and after his illness inadvertently causes another man’s death, he’s forced to resign from the police force. While idle, he talks with his friend, Barbara Bel Geddes, and then accepts a job as a private detective to shadow a friend’s wife. Kim Novak plays the wife. If you’ve seen iconic footage of her in a sea-green-gray suit, that’s from Vertigo. She’s an extremely beautiful woman; it’s easy to see why Jimmy becomes obsessed by her. They have such great chemistry in both movies they made together. In the iconic scene, they both wear some beautiful expressions before they embrace, and since Hitchcock notoriously didn’t give any direction to his actors, the acting came straight from their hearts.
As always with a Hitchcock movie, the plot is tediously slow and contains numerous psychological issues that add to the twists and turns of the mystery. I sit through this one for love of the cast, but I prefer Jimmy and Kim’s reunion in Bell Book and Candle. This isn’t my favorite Hitchcock, but if you really like classic mysteries, you can rent this one on a foggy weekend. Better yet, take a weekend getaway to San Francisco, and then rent it. As a Northern California native, I certainly appreciated all the local footage, as well as how difficult it was to find sunny days at the Bay!
DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. Bernard Herrmann will give you musical cues when James Stewart is about to get dizzy and Hitchcock is about to show his inventive "Vertigo" camera zoom. It will make you sick, but keep an ear out for your cue to look away. In other words, “Don’t Look, Mom!”
Want to watch it? Click here to see it on ok.ru and thanks "Classic Movies Kristine Rose" for posting!
More James Stewart movies here!
Hot Toasty Rag Nominations:
Best Director of 1958: Alfred Hitchcock
Best Actor: James Stewart
Best Dramatic Screenplay