The Review Of Vertigo (Journal #2)

Vertigo, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock is a story of a former detective, John 'Scottie' Ferguson who suffers from Acrophobia, (gets dizzy and passes out from 10 feet and up,) is asked to follow a former friends wife who John fears is suicidal, and all the strange events that follow.

Vertigo is a story of love and obsession and the latter takes control over the last half of the movie as John keeps seeing his lost love in all the places he had followed her when he was hired to follow her. He has these strange dreams excellently choreographed to give the most suspense possible and make you feel truly uncomfortable watching this man so saddened and truly unable to decipher reality and tricks created by his own mind, ultimately his reality becomes ruined by his own doing and his inability to let anything go.

James Stewart plays the lead as John Ferguson, and plays him beautifully. His acting is so life like and real you forget that those scenes of Vertigo are created and not the actual visions of a delusional man. Kim Novak as one of the most interesting characters in any movie I have ever seen, playing the suicidal knowing damsel in self created distress and the uncertain loving and caring disillusioned woman who provides herself as the love interest. These two are the two and only main characters as their are in reality only about eight characters who actually have lines in the entire movie, they basically carry the entire movie on their shoulders and as well as keeping the story rolling and drama flowing.

Alfred Hitchcock again dazzles audiences with his master cinematography skills and his ability to weave a web that ties itself to completely different aspects of the film and ties them together to create a masterpiece of a movie. During the dream sequence of the wallowing state of John Ferguson's self pity, the screen is bombarded with visual illusions, color flooding the screen and eerie music which creates a mood of awkwardness, you don't know what to focus on, so many things are happening that you feel bombarded with visual magic, Hitchcock's true skill at work, the ability to create suspense and unbearable tension.

Overall the film is filled with amazing aspects of visual literacy way behead of its time, characters that compel you to watch them even if you know that they are doomed to lead a life of misfortune, his amazing cinematographic mind or his unparalleled stories, you watch his movies because they completely encompass you forcing you to have a keen eye and ear for details because they will unknowingly appear again, tension is supposed to be the greatest way to promote entertainment, even if the ending leaves you feeling a little short, you can't help but feel entertained.

photo courtesy of pos-pych.com