Vertigo (1958)
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes
Cinematography: Robert Burks
I have seen vertigo meny times, it is one of my all time fav films. I have re looked at this film to look at how the editing was used to show time-passing. When watching Vertigo i focused on the nightmare that scotty has.
Vertigo is about a detective from San Francisco in the US who has a medical condition (acrophobia) a fear of heights. He is asked to follow the actions of an old friend’s wife but at the same time he is becoming obsessed with her. Vertigo is some of my favourite films of Hitchcock’s as it captures your imagination as you do not have any idea about who Madeline really is until the end also the suspense had me on the edge of my seat until the very end. The sequence I will be looking at in detail is the nightmare that Scottie has when he is have issues focusing on the themes, motifs and symbols.
Sleeping. At first i was not sure what was happening but the contuining stricks of purple and blue and with the animation lead me to know that it was a nightmare in Scotties mind. What i find intresting about the nightmare is that it gives clues of what we should be looking out for in the rest of the film like when it focuses on Carlottas red necklace. The dream then takes a more and more surreal approach, Scottie is seen walking into a cemetery he falls into an open grave which turns to tunnel which Scottie is falling down. The nightmare ends with Scottie landing dead next to Madeleines body on a roof top.
The scene using a lot of symbols are objects to create an idea in the audiences mind to help link ideas and thoughts and example of this is when Scottie is falling down the abstract tunnel which fits in well with his fear of heights. One other key factor that stood out in sequence as well as the film as a whole was the use of colour to represent ideas and concepts In the nightmare the colours blue and purple stands out but I thing the colour green is more relevant when you see Scotties head fallowing as the colour green is used a lot in the film, mainly when Hitchcock is to showing a spooky/ ghost like imagery. To prove my point I will highlight some use of green in the film; Madeleine vibrate green dress at the restaurant, later on in the film Scottie is wearing a green jumper, Judy’s room glows green as well as her green dress. I think that the green at the start of vertigo is meant to symbolize life but as the film progresses I think the meaning changes to symbolize the dead. I will use colour symbolism mainly focusing on red in my film experiment as well as in my final exam film so the audiences is always thinking about blood and death, I am wanting this effect as aim to scare my audience
When watching the film and examination the sequence i spotted some are parts of the story that seemed to repeat its self most likely to help the audience know the plot and themes of the film. It also used a lot of contrasting imagery and themes which i liked as it make the film more interesting. Having imagery that contrasts is something I would like to have in my abstract film. One of the Motifs that are found in the nightmare sequence, as well as other place in the film in the use of tunnels,
I believe the use of tunnels in the dream (when Scotties head is falling) is meant to show his gateway to death. other uses of tunnels in the film is when Scottie looks down the side of the building at the very start of the film and when Scotties friend Midge leaves Scottie by going down the hall way showing the end of her faith in Scottie. Hitchcock use of tunnels are very cleaver in his films just like in ‘Rear Window’ the use of tunnels is so focus the audience attention of a curtain thing as well to show the death or rebirth of a person like when we see Judy come up to see Scottie its like she is being reborn
Over all i would say Vertigo is by far one of my favorite of all of Hitchcock’s masterpieces. What i like about the film is how complex and personal the film is, it has the power to make the audience go though a range of emotions. What made the film for me apart from Hitchcock magic is the great James Stewart and Kim Novak who acting is brilliant. All the areas that make a good film great this film has from the story to the cinematography it has it all and it is for these reasons and many more why i am a Hitchcock fan and a lover of Vertigo.
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