Film and Vertigo
Film Theory & Analysis
Vertigo (1958)
Vertigo, directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1958, is a psychological thriller that is said to be Hitchcock's most personal and revealing film. Vertigo was a failure in the box office, but later became to be the premier of pure cinema. Through the use of formal elements such as lighting, color, spacing, and sound Hitchcock brings the film off of the screen and into the audience's head. The themes presented in Vertigo: love, sex, obsession, and guilt play a far more important role in telling the story than the acting. These are common Hitchcockian themes, which culminate all within this one film.
The visual elements in Vertigo are exceptionally important in the telling of the story. Lighting, color, sound, and editing play a far more dominant role then the acting because this was the way Hitchcock intended the movie to be. Throughout many of Hitchcock's movies, such as "Rear Window" and "Spellbound", the themes are generally the same. Love, guilt, obsession, are among the most common. In Vertigo obsession and fear are blended together in the main character Det. John 'Scottie' Ferguson's fear of heights as well as romantic attachment Judy Barton (Madeleine). As Scottie follows Madeleine, watching her day after day, he falls for her. Eventually, the two meet and discover that they like each other, but even love is not enough to overcome Scotties vertigo, and he is unable to save her from a fall from the top of a church bell tower. Madeleine's death causes Scottie to suffer a breakdown, and, during his recovery, a chance encounter on the street brings him face-to-face with a woman, Judy Barton, who is the spitting image of his dead love.
Obsession is one of Hitchcock's primary themes in this film. From the very beginning of the movie, the audience is aware of Scotties fear of heights and his reason for quitting the police force. However as the movie progresses and we are introduced to Madeleine, the blonde
Vertigo (1958)
Vertigo, directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1958, is a psychological thriller that is said to be Hitchcock's most personal and revealing film. Vertigo was a failure in the box office, but later became to be the premier of pure cinema. Through the use of formal elements such as lighting, color, spacing, and sound Hitchcock brings the film off of the screen and into the audience's head. The themes presented in Vertigo: love, sex, obsession, and guilt play a far more important role in telling the story than the acting. These are common Hitchcockian themes, which culminate all within this one film.
The visual elements in Vertigo are exceptionally important in the telling of the story. Lighting, color, sound, and editing play a far more dominant role then the acting because this was the way Hitchcock intended the movie to be. Throughout many of Hitchcock's movies, such as "Rear Window" and "Spellbound", the themes are generally the same. Love, guilt, obsession, are among the most common. In Vertigo obsession and fear are blended together in the main character Det. John 'Scottie' Ferguson's fear of heights as well as romantic attachment Judy Barton (Madeleine). As Scottie follows Madeleine, watching her day after day, he falls for her. Eventually, the two meet and discover that they like each other, but even love is not enough to overcome Scotties vertigo, and he is unable to save her from a fall from the top of a church bell tower. Madeleine's death causes Scottie to suffer a breakdown, and, during his recovery, a chance encounter on the street brings him face-to-face with a woman, Judy Barton, who is the spitting image of his dead love.
Obsession is one of Hitchcock's primary themes in this film. From the very beginning of the movie, the audience is aware of Scotties fear of heights and his reason for quitting the police force. However as the movie progresses and we are introduced to Madeleine, the blonde