#37 - Vertigo (1958)

I can't believe I hadn't seen a Hitchcock film since Psycho. And that was over a month ago. But well, here's the second one. Glad to say it was one of the best suspense films I've ever seen.

Due to an inconvenient incident due to his acrophobia, the detective John Ferguson (James Stewart) is asked by a friend of his to tail his wife Madeleine (Kim Novak), who has been acting strangely lately. The film tells how John tires to solve the mystery behind Madeleine, that keeps getting weirder and weirder, as he finds out she could be possessed by the spirit of a suicidal ancestor. Besides, John and Madeleine start developing feelings for each other.
I know the summary I just wrote is good but not that gripping. The thing is, right in the middle something really unexpected happens (which I will refer to as "[THING]" from now on) and it would ruin the entire film if I were to reveal it. And while there are more great revelations later on, sometimes the film makes a big deal out of the simple ones. But maybe that's just me being nitpicky.

      

See? Too many twists...That was terrible. Punch me.

The main protagonist not a very interesting character during the first half of the film, but after  [THING] happens he gets really obsessed about solving the mystery (and with Madeleine). I can't really keep defining the character without giving [THING] away. Madeleine, on the other hand, is always an intriguing character. The film teases her insanity constantly but you don't really know what's wrong with her until [THING]. Mysteriousness aside, she is a likeable character nonetheless.

The soundtrack is great and really helps set the tone for the film. It heightens that sense of obsession, both from the main character and that of the audience to find out what is going on. The visual effects were also very good, from the trippy intro to the now famous Vertigo zoom, used whenever our main character stares down from a high location and the film is distorted to look taller. One thing I did not like is a dream sequence that could have been executed much better. Here´s what it looks like:

      

It's supposed to be serious but come on, this is goofy and out of place.

Summing up, a great film. The mystery is the main driving force here and it is hinted perfectly, keeping you interested without giving too much away. There are some minor flaws despite the superb plot but still it was totally worth watching.