Vertigo Themes

Vertigo: A Frustrating Movie About the Midlife Crisis of Scottie

Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo initially received mixed reviews because the mystery was solved with one third of the movie left. Later in 2012, Vertigo was rated the greatest film, ending Citizen Kane’s reign. Vertigo elicits repeat viewings because of the element of suspense that it has. Once a viewer knows the plot, it changes what he/she looks for. A major theme explored in the film is that misogyny is fruitless, which Hitchcock displays through color usage and magical realism.

Vertigo elicits repeat viewings because of the amount of plot twists it has. Watching the movie a second time and knowing how it ends changes what one looks for as a viewer. For example, when Scottie first sees Madeleine, in Ernie’s restaurant, the walls are a rich red. The walls symbolize a warning for Scottie about what

Midge constantly wears yellow throughout the movie, as she waters down her personality in a failed attempt to attract Scottie. Midge’s character is a buffer between Madeleine and Judy, based on the fact that red and green mixed make yellow. Midge is an independent woman, like Judy, willing to give up her power for Scottie, like Madeleine does. She attempts to be the female protagonist in the scene where she paints her head onto Carlotta’s body. Scottie is disgusted by the idea of Midge being Carlotta, or connected to Madeleine in any way. Part of the reason is because Scottie is only attracted to Madeleine for her damsel-in-distress narrative. Although Midge wears red in this scene, a color representing Scottie’s lust for Madeleine, he is repulsed by the idea of a modern woman. One of the writers, Samuel Taylor, included Midge to “bring Scottie into the word, establish for him an ordinary life, make it obvious that he;s an ordinary man” (42). Midge’s character was supposed to humanize Scottie, but instead, she made him look more obsessive over