Thursday, March 8, 2012

Vertigo

A detective suffering from the title condition, and recently retired from the force, is hired by an old college chum to shadow his wife, who seems to be experiencing some sort of spiritual possession. As he follows her through her journeys through San Francisco, he quickly falls in love with her, a love that will turn into obsession when a sudden tragedy strikes. Alfred Hitchock's "Vertigo" is a dark, complex, and hypnotic film and one of The Master's finest works. Shot with a brilliant use of color, plotted with carefully constructed pacing, and underscored by Bernard Hermann's ominous score, "Vertigo" works like a charm whether its your first time viewing or your tenth. Jimmy Stewart delivers one of his best and certainly his darkest performances and Kim Novak is effectively cold as the mysterious blonde he is hired to follow. "Vertigo" is a twisted and sumptuous journey and an intricate construction the likes of which have seldom been found in a Hollywood movie.