#Vertigo hitchcock movie#

He is hired by old schoolfriend Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) for a strange job: to shadow his beautiful and enigmatic wife Madeline ( Kim Novak) whose behaviour is worrying him. James Stewart plays ex-cop Scottie, invalided out of the police due to vertigo brought on by a traumatic and shaming calamity during a rooftop chase. Like Psycho, it ends in an “o”, or maybe “oh!” The ancient house adjoining the Bates motel in Psycho certainly has an unearthly similarity to San Francisco’s creepy old McKitterick Hotel in Vertigo. Vertigo also combines in an almost unique balance Hitchcock’s brash flair for psychological shocks with his elegant genius for dapper stylishness. This is that act of seeing that, so far from being transparent and neutral, is an imposition of power, and therefore extremely applicable to this drama of obsession and voyeurism, although I never tire of pointing out that there are very few members of the hetero-patriarchy who have the confidence or fanatical connoisseurship to pick out a woman’s clothes or exactly specify her hairstyle. Thanks to this, today anyone can – and should – easily get their hands on a copy of Hitchcock’s masterwork.T he unbearably sad, exquisitely macabre love story that is Vertigo now reaches its 60th birthday, and this week sees its rerelease, not much liked on first appearing in 1958 but now hugely canonical and prestigious, recently unseating Citizen Kane at the top of the Sight and Sound critics’ poll, due very much to unending critical interest in “the male gaze”, pioneered by theorists such as Michel Foucault and Laura Mulvey. In fact, many of those included in this video essay would’ve been part of this essential critical re-visit to Vertigo. Fortunately, in the 70s and 80s, critics, filmmakers and regular viewers re-evaluated the film. After Hitchcock’s death, his estate re-released the film along with Rear Window in 1983. Nonetheless, the decision likely had something to do with the aforementioned disappointing response Vertigo initially received. In the end, the reason Hitchcock pulled Vertigo from circulation is unknown. Even James Stewart couldn’t get clips from the film. Once Hitchcock removed the film from circulation, getting a copy of Vertigo proved to be extremely difficult. However, Vertigo wasn’t always so readily available to viewers. Nowadays, with Netflix and the rise of streaming services, we often take our easy access to films for granted. Hitchcock owned the rights to Vertigo and four of his other films, and in 1973 he removed all five from circulation. Whatever the reason, the film did not receive the immediate response it deserved.

On the other hand, Hitchcock blamed the unenthusiastic reception of the film on James Stewart’s dwindling star power – the actor was 50 at the time. However, that was not always the case. The film was released to a muted reception in 1958. Many thought the film was too slow. Meanwhile, the film’s plot disappointed others, who said this was not what they expected or wanted from a Hitchcock film. Vertigo is widely lauded as one of the greatest motion pictures of all time these days.

#Vertigo hitchcock movie#

You know there is something special about a movie when so many talented people sing its praises. The video includes thoughts from Martin Scorsese, John Williams, Paul Schrader, David Fincher, Gene Siskel, Guillermo Del Toro, Brian De Palma, Stephen Spielberg, Roger Ebert, and more. This video essay by Alejandro Villarreal compiles clips of many of the greats discussing what Vertigo means to them. Vertigo is a breath-taking piece of filmmaking admired by regular viewers, filmmakers, screenwriters, critics and composers alike. Throughout the film, Scottie’s investigation of Madeleine sends him down a thrilling rabbit hole of obsession, lies, and deceit. One day, an old friend hires Scottie to spy on his wife Madeleine (Kim Novak). The film is about former police detective Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) who has had to retire from the force early due to his vertigo. Watch a video essay about why Vertigo resonates so profoundly with filmmakers.Īlfred Hitchcock‘s Vertigo is a haunting psychological masterpiece.