Vertigo (1958)

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore, Raymond Bailey, Henry Jones, Ellen Corby. [PG]

Utterly mesmerizing masterpiece from Alfred Hitchcock is a stylish, layered psychological character study; a mystery where the secrets are far less important than what they represent and how they influence (infect, more like) the behavior of its key players. In fact, the revelation of what really happened occurs with about a quarter of the film left to go! Stewart is a former police detective suffering from the titular phobia, tasked with following Helmore’s wife (Novak), who has been behaving strangely and may be in danger, but the particulars of the plot are almost besides the point—it falsely “climaxes” about two-thirds of the way through only to restart and go far deeper and darker into the realms of obsession and control. Hitchcock is unafraid to self-analyze and criticize, appropriating his own baggage in terms of domination/objectification of women onto its spiraling “hero.” But just as important is how spellbinding his imagery is, from the disorienting dolly zooms to the eerily dream-like photographic effects, to say nothing for its unforgettable San Francisco location footage. Bernard Herrmann’s score is also enthralling, perhaps the finest of his illustrious career. The sort of movie that demands to be watched (and studied) again and again…and seems to improve upon each revisit.

99/100