Evolution Of Scottie In Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo

In Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958), Hitchcock uses various color schemes to show Scottie's emotions towards Madeleine and to communicate to the audience what the dialogue does not. Hitchcock uses these various colors to show the evolution of Scottie and his feelings as the plot moves forward. This is demonstrated to the audience when Scottie sees Madeleine for the first time, Scottie has a nightmare about Madeleine's death, and Judy emerges from the bathroom in a cloud of green fog. In the shot in which Scottie sees Madeleine up close for the first time (17:31-17:44), Hitchcock gives the lighting a rosy tone and uses a red wallpaper background to show Madeleine's beauty and Scottie's attraction to her. This shot takes place in the restaurant

Moments before this shot Scottie has asked the newly blonde Judy to put her hair up into a bun. Reluctantly, she goes into the bathroom to do so and Scottie waits outside in the living room for her. The whole room is bathed in green light motivated by the fluorescent sign outside her apartment. This shot starts with a long shot of Judy, who has just exited the bathroom and is staring lovingly at Scottie, asking him for approval with her expression. A thick, green fog envelopes her, making Judy hard to see clearly. She starts to take her first step in walking towards Scottie and the fog starts to fade as she moves forward. This shot in juxtaposition with the shot of when Scottie sees Madeleine for first time makes it clear to the audience that Scottie is a changed person. His life has completely altered as well as his mind. When Scottie is emotionally healthy and sees Madeleine her skin glows and she exudes a rosy color. Now that Scottie is emotionally damaged and obsessed with Madeleine, he sees her in a tainted which the audience picks up on from the green fog. Hitchcock shows the audience this optical effect to help the audience understand that Scottie is emotionally unstable as well. Also, Scottie looks at Judy the same way he did the first time he saw Madeleine. Hitchcock uses the green fog to remind the audience that this is not Madeleine and that this situation is very abnormal and unhealthy. The green fog also compliments the green lighted room, echoing it's same uncomfortable