Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo: a perfectly spine-chilling flick
Keely Lyons, News and Features Editor
Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock which follows an ex-police officer, John “Scottie” Ferguson (James Stewart) who suffers from intense acrophobia. He feels partially responsible for a police officer’s death when the man falls from a roof while trying to save Ferguson’s life during a chase. After dealing with post traumatic stress disorder after the incident, he quits the police force and focuses on curing his vertigo, a spinning sensation he experiences when he encounters heights. It is said by health practitioners the only thing that could cure him is experiencing another shocking incident with heights.
Not long after quitting the force, he is contacted by a man he knew years prior, Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore), who tries to convince him to follow his wife, Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak), whose consciousness seems to mysteriously slip into another person as she travels to mysterious locations across San Franscisco.
Fergueson agrees, doubting Elster’s wife’s insanity. Regardless, he follows her and discovers strange patterns in her behavior correlate with a woman, Carlotta Valdes, who lived almost a hundred years earlier. After following her for a couple days, her car stops in front of a body of water. She gets out and she jumps, attempting suicide. Ferguson prepares himself for the unexplainable as rescues her and she slowly regains concsiousness. The two develop an unlikely friendship which evolves into undeniable chemistry.
Madeleine allows Ferguson to follow her, claiming she knows she is supposed to commit suicide when she turns 26. She says she doesn’t want to do it, but it is as if something inside compels her to die by her own hand. Ferguson puts her life in his hands as he keeps track of her whereabouts and tries to understand her condition.
In an effort to explain her inner turmoil, she climbs to the top of a tower as Ferguson lags behind, fighting his acrophobia. In a moment, she falls to her death and Ferguson, shocked and full of horror, finds he is too late to save her life.
After regaining psychological stability and recovering from seeing Madeliene’s death, Ferguson begins to question the intentions of her husband after meeting someone who looks hauntingly like Madeliene.
The film’s score, by Bernard Herrmann, is evocative and eerily emotional. The beginning of the film strikes the viewer with the sting of it’s psychologically contemplative visuals. The music all throughout the film support key moments and highlight the story arc in a moody and atmospheric way.
The script, written by Samuel Taylor, Alec Coppel and Maxwell Anderson, is realistic in light of the jargon of the late 1950s. The dialogue forms a cohesive story with a surprise ending, leaving audiences with a lot to contemplate about human nature and the human condition.
All the costumes of the film were created by the great Edith Head who was known for costuming the 1950s classic Audrey Hepburn film, “Sabrina.” The color pallets of the costumes are incredibly rich and speak for themselves. Notably, the first time Kim Novak is seen as Madeliene she is wearing a dark green femme fatale gown, which evokes strong feminine energy, mystery, and depth.
Considering the films heavy themes of suicide and gaslighting, audiences should be aware of those two trigger warnings. Otherwise, the film is thought provoking, well executed, stunning to look at and includes the incredible acting talent of Jimmy Stewart and the beautiful Kim Novak. This film rates five out of five stars for its uniqueness, creativity and development.
