Vertigo was originally released into theaters in 1958 and stars Kim Novak and the Hitchcock regular, James Stewart. Although the film earned itself two Oscar nominations, it was initially given less than stellar reviews by critics and was generally disliked in its early days. As a fine wine, however, Vertigo has aged extremely well. It is now considered one of Hitchcock's greatest movies if not THE greatest movie he has ever made. A combination of staggering performances from Stewart and Novak, innovative camera work, and the always involving and suspenseful story we come to expect from Hitchcock make this one of the most memorable thrillers in film history.
To give a brief description of the plot....James Stewart is a San Francisco detective who is hired by an old school friend to follow his wife (Kim Novak) for fear that she is losing her mind and may be suicidal. As he follows her around town, Stewart's assignment becomes an obsession as he becomes enamored with the blond-haired beauty. As his obsessions grow, Stewart comes to realize (in typical Hitchcock fashion) that things are not always what they seem. If anymore of the plot is revealed, it would ruin the movie. The real thrills come from following the numerous twists and turns and watching Stewart become helplessly entangled along with ourselves. If you're wondering what part vertigo actually plays in the movie, it's somewhat small. Stewart's character does have a somewhat severe case of vertigo, but it is only mentioned in conversation once in the film. (Vertigo, by the way, is a stark dizzying sensation one feels while on completely stable surroundings. It is mistakenly thought to be a fear heights; extreme heights merely cause a more severe attack of vertigo.) The reason for naming the movie as such comes from the way Stewart's mind is twisted and spun in obsessions with Novak.
Vertigo was listed at #61 on the American Film Institute's Top 100 American Movies and deservedly so. It stands out from the rest of Hitchcock's other films in its technical work and the nature of its characters. Hitchcock and his cinematographer, Robert Burks, created what is today called the contra-zoom or trombone zoom and they used this type of shot to create the sense of vertigo. Basically, the shot involves zooming out the camera lens while tracking, moving, the camera closer to what you are filming. It is used on a regular basis today in order to capture similar sensations. The characters also stand out in Vertigo more than they do in Hitchcock's other films. The characters are overall darker than what we are used to in Hitchcock, even the ones we are supposed to be in support of. Perhaps this is why most critics believe this movie is his masterpiece. It offers us something that we are not expecting.
So, if you have seen Vertigo before, or you have never seen any of Hitchcock's movies at all, come out and join us for a screening of Vertigo in the Freedom Regional Public Library Community Room at 6:00pm on Wednesday, July 30. The screening will be free of charge and open to the public. Join us for a good movie and a good time!
Until next time....
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