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Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, an adaptation of the French novel D’Entre les Morts by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, stands as a testament to the director's brilliance. As Adair (2002) aptly phrases it, Vertigo is the "strangest, yet most hauntingly beautiful film he had ever made." Despite its mixed critical reception upon release, contemporary consensus positions it as a deeply felt cinematic experience.
Initially based on the novel, Vertigo garnered a diverse range of reactions from critics. Time magazine, for instance, dismissed the film as a "Hitchcock and bull story," highlighting the initial skepticism surrounding its far-fetched plot.
However, as we revisit Vertigo through a contemporary lens, many now agree that it is one of the director's most profoundly felt pictures.
Vertigo is traditionally categorized as a thriller, a genre significantly shaped by Hitchcock's contributions. Thrillers, encompassing stories of murder, conspiracy, and psychological complexity, encapsulate the film's essence. However, pigeonholing Vertigo as merely a thriller limits our understanding of its intricate narrative, symbols, motifs, and overarching themes.
In many ways, Hitchcock played a major role in defining the thriller genre.
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Thrillers, by definition, are movies that seek to create excitement, often revolving around murder, conspiracies, violence, or, in the case of Vertigo, a psychological thriller with characters possessing unstable mental states. While Vertigo undeniably fits the thriller mold, labeling it as such oversimplifies its contents and does not fully capture the depth of Hitchcock's creation.
Traditional genre classifications may not always do justice to a film's complexity.
Bordwell (2001) asserts that "a film can revise or reject the conventions associated with its genre." In the case of Vertigo, delving into its mystery and romantic melodramatic themes unveils a masterpiece that transcends the confines of a singular genre. Hitchcock, known for manipulating audience emotions, skillfully weaves a narrative that goes beyond the expectations set by the thriller genre.
Very frequently, a "film can revise or reject the conventions associated with its genre" (Bordwell, 2001). Instead of limiting our analysis to the thriller elements, we need to explore the mystery and romantic melodramatic themes that Hitchcock employed to create this masterpiece. Hitchcock, often hailed as the man who shaped the modern-day thriller genre, was fluent in manipulating the audience's fears, skillfully suturing them into a state of association with the characters and the world they inhabit.
The core of Vertigo's thriller classification lies in its plot. Scottie, the protagonist, becomes ensnared in a meticulously planned murder of an old friend's wife. The film unfolds as an intricate psycho-traumatic thriller, delving into the psychological effects of trauma on the protagonist's involvement in love and crime. Scottie's acrophobia, rooted in past trauma, becomes a pivotal element, setting the stage for his descent into obsession after an impossible love and the apparent death of his beloved.
The main point cementing Vertigo as a thriller is its plot. Scottie, the protagonist, finds himself entangled in the planned murder of an old friend's wife, a woman he falls in love with. This love becomes impossible as she 'dies,' leading Scottie into a downward spiral of mad obsession. These elements align with the characteristics of psycho-traumatic thrillers, which revolve around the psychological effects of trauma on the protagonist's current involvement in a love affair and a crime.
Moreover, the protagonist in such thrillers is typically the victim—either of some past trauma or villains taking advantage of masochist guilt (Cook, 1999). In Scottie's case, his acrophobia is the result of his fellow police officer's death, and he becomes the victim of his own obsessions and the manipulation of those around him.
While these elements undeniably mark Vertigo as a thriller, Hitchcock subverts typical thriller conventions by ensuring there is no happy ending. The flawed protagonist, guilt-ridden and responsible for three deaths, remains in a state of transition throughout the film. Hitchcock, known for introducing morally ambiguous characters to cinema, fills Vertigo with such complexities, especially embodied by the protagonist himself. The repeated motif of the spiral represents Scottie's perpetual state of suspension and transition, carrying the audience through the film's entirety.
Vertigo boldly defies typical thriller conventions, deviating from the customary happy ending. The flawed protagonist, haunted by guilt and responsible for three deaths, remains in a perpetual state of transition throughout the film. Hitchcock, a pioneer in employing morally ambiguous characters, saturates Vertigo with such complexities, particularly embodied by the protagonist. The recurring motif of the spiral symbolizes Scottie's constant suspension and transition, challenging the audience to expect the unexpected.
Unlike typical thriller conventions, Vertigo has no happy ending. The flawed protagonist falls in love, an obsession that spirals into madness. Scottie, guilty of all three deaths, remains in a state of transition throughout the film. Hitchcock, who pioneered the use of morally ambiguous characters in cinema, filled Vertigo with such characters, especially the protagonist. The repeated motif of the spiral represents Scottie's constant state of suspension and transition, all the way to the end of the film.
While the thriller elements are undeniably present, Vertigo's narrative goes beyond by delving into the realms of romance, madness, and obsession. Hitchcock employs various cinematic techniques, music, and motifs, notably the color green, to portray the underlying theme of everlasting love turning into an uncontrollable obsession. Scottie's attempt to transform Judy into the image of his deceased love, Madeleine, becomes a poignant exploration of love's complexities and the blurred lines between reality and fantasy.
However, limiting our analysis to Vertigo as merely a thriller overlooks essential elements that contribute to its complexity. The film delves into romantic and obsessive themes, exploring the intricacies of love and its transformation into an all-consuming obsession. Hitchcock employs various cinematic techniques, including the use of music and motifs, with the color green playing a significant role in portraying the film's main motivation—romance.
The first time Scottie and the audience encounter Madeleine, she is adorned in green. She drives a green car, and during their visit to the Sequoias, the name translating to "Always green, everlasting," emphasizes the eternal nature of Scottie's love, even after Madeleine's 'death' (Duncan, 2004). This notion of everlasting love carries over to Judy Barton, who appears later in the film. Scottie, in a succession of attempts, transforms her appearance, changing her clothing, makeup, hair, and speech to fit his idealized image of Madeleine.
One of the most visually impactful scenes in Vertigo unfolds when Judy transforms into Madeleine. Hitchcock masterfully uses the green motif, neon lights, and reflections to convey profound emotions. The sequence, with its carefully orchestrated camera movements and musical accompaniment, reaches a climax when Scottie realizes the truth. The use of a 360-degree rotation sequence, accompanied by changes in background scenery, reflects the protagonist's internal conflict and desire, blurring the lines between past and present.
The visual impact of this transformation scene is unparalleled in the entire film. As Judy emerges from the bathroom after Scottie convinced her to adopt Madeleine's appearance, the sequence is rich in symbolism. Scottie's initial anticipation, reflected in his left profile, mirrors the uncertainty of their first meeting in the restaurant. The recurrence of the green motif, illuminated by neon lights outside Judy's apartment, serves as a visual reminder.
As Judy/Madeleine steps out of the bathroom, the use of green light superimposed around her body creates a ghostly, blurred figure—a representation of her coming back from the dead, akin to spirits or ghosts in film. This visual technique accentuates the film's theme of resurrection. However, as she slips out of the blur and into focus, Hitchcock employs this transition to indicate Scottie's return to reality. The subsequent series of shot/reverse-shots as she walks towards Scottie, enveloped in the green glow, further underscores the intricate visual storytelling.
The slow walk towards Scottie, punctuated by pauses and culminating in a close-up, is a masterful use of cinematic language. In this close-up, Judy/Madeleine sneaks a smile, hinting at her satisfaction in fulfilling Scottie's request for transformation. The ensuing kiss between Scottie and Judy/Madeleine, captured in close-up, marks a significant turning point. The music's dynamics pick up, and the camera initiates a 360-degree rotation sequence, altering the background scenery. This visual illusion transports the mise-en-scene from the present in Judy's hotel room to a scene from the past, where Scottie initially kissed Madeleine passionately.
As the camera tracks back and pulls into a medium shot, the music accelerates into a joyous tune. This shot visually externalizes Scottie's thoughts and desires while Judy remains lost in her world of denial, snuggled up and kissing his neck. It's an overlap and irony of fantasy and reality. Scottie kisses Judy/Madeleine again, and the camera's tracking resumes, accompanied by a slowing down of the music. The background continues to change, providing a brief illusion of transformation before reality sets in.
Eventually, the camera concludes the sequence with a tight close-up, once again illuminated by the green glow. This final shot encapsulates the emotional climax of the scene, underlining the complexity of Scottie's emotions and the intricate visual storytelling employed by Hitchcock.
Vertigo, despite its thriller roots, defies genre conventions and emerges as a cinematic blend of various genres. It intricately weaves elements of romance, madness, and obsession into a narrative that surpasses the expectations set by traditional thriller films. Hitchcock's departure from genre norms and the incorporation of morally ambiguous characters contribute to Vertigo's status as the "strangest, yet most hauntingly beautiful film he has ever made." To fully appreciate this cinematic masterpiece, one must look beyond genre classifications and embrace the complexities embedded within Vertigo's narrative.
Hitchcock's 'Vertigo': Beyond Thriller Conventions. (2016, Sep 10). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/vertigo-by-alfred-hitchcock-essay
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