Common Sense Note
The mature subject matter isn't suitable for all teens, but it's a must-see for any classic movie bug, Hitchcock fan, or lover of complex suspense. Some mature themes parents may wish to discuss after viewing: obsession, murder, deceit.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Scott G. Mignola
Poorly received during its original 1958 release, VERTIGO has since been hailed as one of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest achievements. It's certainly one of his most disturbing--and by his own accounts his most personal--picture, burrowing deep into what are said to have been some of the director's own darkest wormholes: obsessions with women, the desire to control them, and to mold them into a personal ideal.
Such psychologically complex material is best suited for adults and mature teens, who will find more to enjoy here than a simple suspense story. This is the work of a master, whose genius shows in unconventional use of color (a heavy red and green palette) and intricate storytelling that unwinds slowly, like the dizzying spirals of the opening credits sequence.
Stewart, who worked with Hitchcock previously on Rear Window and The Man Who Knew Too Much (among others), is easy to sympathize with as the good-natured guy who learns too late that he's been set up. Kim Novak is also eerily convincing in a difficult role, and Barbara Bel Geddes is irresistible as Midge Wood, the woman Scottie would be in love with if he knew what was good for him.
A painstaking two-year restoration project saved this movie for future generations. The colors are dazzling (the Golden Gate Bridge has never looked more exotic), and Bernard Herrmann's extraordinary score is crisp and haunting. Hitchcock would indeed be grateful.
Fans of Hitchcock should also see Rebecca from his black-and white-period, another subtle but suspenseful tale of obsession.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentSubtle sexual undertones haunt the movie. |
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ViolenceSome physical violence implied; none seen. Some tense moments. |
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Social BehaviorA woman allows an obsessive admirer to make her over in the image of a lost love. |
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