Vertigo (1958)

'Vertigo', directed by the legendary Alfred Hitchcock has gone down in history as one of the greatest films ever made. Well-renowned for its tension and visuals, this film has had an incredible impact upon the film industry. But, is it deserved?

The film starts out fairly simply but by the end is perhaps has the single most convoluted ending I’ve ever seen. The film still works but the ending is so bafflingly wild and complex that it ultimately falls a bit flat. The final moments of the film were where I was the most entertained but certainly not for the reasons I imagine were intended.

Quite quickly, the film manages to dig itself into a deep hole with a compelling yet uniquely confounding plot that it struggles to climb out of. James Stewart’s Scottie has been hired by his friend to follow his wife Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak) who the husband believes has been possessed by a women who committed suicide many years ago. Whilst a compelling mystery, the way the film explains it is absolutely insane that makes you question the motives of everyone involved. I’ll put it this way: I certainly wasn’t expecting the outcome we got.

In addition to the oddly constructed mystery, the film is rather awkwardly paced. The middle third dragged out to an immense degree and much of the runtime was made up of Scottie revisiting places we had already been. Then, the mystery is explained in the classic Hitchcock style: incredibly quickly and leaving little room for closure.

Despite the messy plot construction, I did feel myself come to admire the characters. Novak’s role became more interesting as the story went on and I found Stewart to be quite charismatic. Barbara Bel Geddes as Midge also played a likeable roll.

Much of the film is simply a series of conversations, allowing little opportunity for effective visuals but Hitchcock pushes the film to its highest potential in this regard. This film is a cinematographic achievement with scenic wide shots, consistently brilliant framing and an understanding of colour un-matched by even most modern films. I’ve become so used to brown and grey colour palettes that it is nice to see such a bright blue sky in ‘Vertigo’ or a deep green dress. Then, of course, there’s the hypnotic sequence which is visually stunning. I don’t know if it was entirely necessary but certainly a pleasant addition. Rounding off the tone of the film is Bernard Herrmann’s spectacular score, acting as an effective backdrop.

Ultimately, ‘Vertigo’ is a weird one. It has a clear grasp on visuals but a plot that is so needlessly convoluted it is almost as if the writers were just trying to be clever rather than telling a compelling story. I did enjoy the film at times but not in the way I would have hoped. However, ‘Vertigo’ is one I will certainly not be forgetting any time soon.