Vertigo Essay

One of the most well-known and adored movies of all time premiered in 1958. In his film Vertigo, Alfred Hitchcock depicts the tale of a former police detective now residing in San Francisco, who is actively juggling his mental health issues with his job of pursuing a strangely appealing but recognizably familiar woman. The movie is a wonderful representation of an array of issues, including fear, love, and even obsession. Hitchcock uses a variety of elements to highlight his ideas, including cinematography, character development, score, and even production design. In his exceptional film, Vertigo, Alfred Hitchcock presents fear-provoking situations, unexpected character backgrounds, and unique lighting techniques to depict an incredible story

For example, Scotty’s severe fear of heights has caused him to experience paralysis in life-threatening situations of his loved ones. In the first scene, Scotty is seen hanging from a high rooftop, crippled with fear, and can’t help but witness his co-worker’s death because his vertigo restrained his ability to accept help. In another scene, Scotty chases Madeline to the town’s bell tower, but cannot climb the steps due to his fear and fails to save her from falling to death. When discussing the hearing surrounding Madeline’s death, a friend Gavin attempts to console Scotty about the judge’s remarks, saying “[I’m] sorry Scotty, that was rotten, he had no right to speak to you like that.” (Hitchcock). Although the judge treated Scotty as if he were responsible for her death, Gavin insists that the judge’s treatment was inconsiderate and unfair. This quote highlights that although people will often console Scotty for his fear of heights and how it restricts him in dangerous situations, he will always resort back to blaming himself for those losses. Using fear-provoking situations in his film, Hitchcock is able to amplify the true weight of Scotty’s

In certain scenes involving immense love and emotion, the prominent color in the setting is red. However, in other scenes with more mysticism, terror, and deception, green is more distinguishable. Judy’s character is heavily centered around green (clothing, home, etc.) to emphasize the idea of her deception of Scotty. In the scene where Judy pins up her hair, becoming a spitting image of Madeline, she is surrounded by green light, associating the color with the theme of deception and obsession. “She locks herself into the bathroom, does the makeover, opens the door and walks toward Scottie out of a haunting green fog that is apparently explained by the neon sign, but is in fact a dreamlike effect.” (Ebert 7). This quote highlights the significance of the green ambiance, as it alludes to the deception that was taking place throughout the story. Although Scotty feels attracted to the dream of having Madeline back and alive, he is against the idea of Judy essentially “playing the role” of Madeline. Through cinematography coupled with color-themed lighting, Hitchcock is able to display subliminal messages to his audience concerning the themes of certain