Vertigo (1958)

User Rating:

8.6/10   

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Alec Coppel (screenplay) &
Samuel A. Taylor (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

21 July 1958 (Brazil)

Genre:

Crime | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

A Hitchcock thriller. You should see it from the beginning!

Plot:

A San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.

Plot Keywords:

Acrophobia | Wife | Shipbuilder | Suicide | Portrait

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

James Stewart	...	John 'Scottie' Ferguson
Kim Novak	...	Madeleine Elster / Judy Barton
Barbara Bel Geddes	...	Midge Wood
Tom Helmore	...	Gavin Elster
Henry Jones	...	Coroner
Raymond Bailey	...	Scottie's Doctor
Ellen Corby	...	Manager of McKittrick Hotel
Konstantin Shayne	...	Pop Leibel
Lee Patrick	...	Car Owner Mistaken for Madeleine

Also Known As:

'Vertigo' (USA) (poster title)
Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (USA) (complete title)
Darkling I Listen (USA) (working title)
Fear and Trembling (USA) (working title)
From Among the Dead (USA) (working title)
Illicit Darkening (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

128 min | USA:129 min (1996 restored version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.50 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS 70 mm (1996 re-release) (70 mm prints) | DTS (1996 re-release) (35 mm prints) | Dolby Digital (1996 re-release) (35 mm prints) | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #18867) | USA:PG (re-rating) (1983) (certificate no. 27072) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) (re-rating) (1997) | Canada:G (Nova Scotia) (original rating) (1983) | Spain:T | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Brazil:14 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12/9 (1995) | Finland:K-12/9 (1997) | Finland:K-16 (1958) | France:U | Norway:11 (re-rating) (1997) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1988) | West Germany:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

900 Lombard Street, San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions

Trivia:

Numerous uses of repetition and reflection throughout, including: - The mirror on the way out of Ernie's restaurant; Scotty sees Madeleine reflected in it right after he has seen her for the first time. - The numerous reflections and repetitions of Madeleine throughout, including at least two women whom Scotty mistakes for her. - The metaphorical or dream mirrors that Madeleine describes as lining the corridor of her life. - Midge paints herself into the portrait of Madeleine's ancestor, and, in one shot, sits next to the self-portrait, as if doubled. - After showing Scotty the portrait, Midge sees herself reflected in the glass of the window. - Judy as Madeleine's reflection. - Madeleine as repetition or reflection of her ancestor. - Scotty repeating his former life. - Judy falls from the tower to her death the same way Madeleine did - There is a motif of spirals in the film, as literal shapes in the opening credits, and as the more abstract shape of the movie's plot, as well as the shape of the pivotal tower staircase.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Madeleine is in Scottie's apartment after he rescued her from the bay, he offers her two cushions to sit on in front of the fireplace. When he picks up the cushions, they are green. In the next shot, when the cushions are shown hitting the floor, they are gold. When the cushions are shown lying in front of the fireplace after Madeleine has fled, they are green again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Officer on rooftop: Give me your hand. Give me your hand.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Stella (1990)

Soundtrack:

Symphony No. 34 in C K. 338, 2nd Movement, Andante di Molto (piu tosto allegretto)

Get Lost in It.

Along with "Psycho", Hitchcock's best film that wraps itself around the viewer very fast and never does let go. San Francisco detective Jimmy Stewart is slowly going crazy due to a failed mission which did not work because of his intense fear of heights. This is all front-page news of course and Stewart is shamed about the whole event. But a ray of light shines as he gets a job to watch a man's wife (Kim Novak) who is supposedly having an affair with another man. Stewart believes this is his chance to put the past behind him, but sometimes the future is even darker. Stewart falls in love with Novak and the love turns into a dark and twisted obsession that becomes deeper and deeper as the film progresses. When tragedy strikes, that is the end. Right? Not quite. An amazing screenplay and arguably Hitchcock's greatest directing venture make the film solid and Stewart's stunning performance raises the whole project to a classic level. Somewhat ignored around the awards circuit in 1958, but ages beautifully as the years go by. 5 stars out of 5.