Cinematography In Vertigo

The cinematography of Vertigo is, at least for me, is the most memorable aspect of the film. The theme of voyeurism, already a common Hitchcock element, is accentuated by the use of the camera as Scottie’s eyes; the audience is Scottie, and we see exactly what he does. Only twice does the camera break from the protagonist. In Judy’s flashback the camera goes where Scottie cannot, making the audience more powerful than the protagonist. The audience does not object; we desire to see more of Judy’s inner thoughts, as if we were observing a rat in a laboratory. Soon afterwards, Judy dies, right as Scottie overcomes his acrophobia. He gets what he wants, but only at the cost of his love’s life. Similarly, we get what we want (the truth of the mystery),