Rating: 
Summary: Classic Hitchcock...
Review: Yes, that's right I just saw the acclaimed Hitchcock classic, in it's entirety for the first time. Kim Novak, what a Hottie, but that's besides the point.....James Stewart, always a great actor seemed a little to...how do I say it? Overacting. Yes it's the style of the day, but in this film there were too many times where I just said "jeez, give me a break". Okay, okay, calm down classic movie buffs....it's just my opinion. Great story and wonderfully composed shots, but I thought the lighting was very uneven and of course, for the style of the day....Brian De Palma's "Body Double" ripped the hell off of this movie. The double female impersonators, setting up a ' witness' for the muder of someone's wife and even down to the kissing scen between Stewart and Novak at the old mission was so close, wow......nice to see De Palma paid attention, worked well in Body Double, even though now it seems pretty damn purposeful.
Rating: 
Summary: Hitchcock's finest film
Review: A typical first reaction to this film is disappointment. I, too, was somewhat deflated when, having been introduced to Hitchcock through Psycho and North by Northwest, I saw Vertigo and wondered what the fuss was about. On subsequent viewings, however, the film has become to me the masterpiece I expected it to be in the first place.Its success cannot be pinned down to the plot or the thrills, because purely as a suspense thriller it is only adequate. The dialogue is not breathtaking, and if we expect a taut, credible storyline, we will not be satisfied; but that is hardly the point, for Vertigo's power lies in the emotions it conveys. Hitchcock's colours, Burks's ethereal lensing of San Francisco, Herrmann's score and the fittingly passionate performances of James Stewart and Kim Novak bring vitality to a story that could otherwise have been pedestrian. The more I watch this film the more I allow myself to be swept away in its tide of emotion: The sense of yearning for lost memories; the desire to recreate the past; the frustration of being trapped in time; the mythic quest for beauty. These themes are at the heart of the story, of course, but more than that, they are revealed in the entire ambience Hitch successfully creates: The dreamy settings entrance you and pull you into their spell; The film's key images haunt you long after the film is over. It is hard to describe the power Vertigo contains: It ought simply to be experienced; Let its themes and images and sounds wash over you. When I am drawn back to the film, it is precisely because of that sense of yearning for something lost. I want to let it affect me all over again. I want to relive the experience. Vertigo does not only tell you about this intense human desire to relive the past: It makes you feel it.
Rating: 
Summary: It was alright.
Review: I liked 'Vertigo'. Although I personally wouldn't call it Hitchcock's "masterpiece" (I liked 'Notorious' better), I can see why many people would think it was the be-all end-all of Hitch's career. It's probably the most beautifully filmed of all his movies, the best scored, and the most revealing about Hitchcock's own sensibilities. 'Vertigo' moved a bit slowly for my tastes, but the pacing was necessary to set up the proper tone for the story. As for the acting, Jimmy Stewart is good as always (although once again, I have to break with the majority and say that Cary Grant is my favorite leading man in any Hitchcock film), and Kim Novak gives the performance of her career. While I do know that the story was ostensibly about Scottie's building -- and finally uncontrollable -- obsession with Madeline, I found it hard to stomach some of the misogyny that came along with it, such as Judy's forced change of appearance, and her constant acquiescence to Scottie at the cost of her own self-esteem. But, keeping in mind the lack of concern about such things in the time period when the original story was written, or in the time that the film was released, it's easy enough to put aside. Maybe the greatest achievements of 'Vertigo' lay on the technical side of moviemaking. The opticals (the zooming "vertigo" effect; the spinning motif behind Scottie in his delusions; the green light that bathes Judy in the hotel room), the lush VistaVision cinematography, and the masterful score by Bernard Hermann are the true stars of the film. The DVD itself is a real knockout, with slavishly restored sound and picure, insightful commentary, a documentary, the original ending, and other features. The score really kicks out well on the multi-speaker setup. The reframed 1.85:1 picture isn't anamorphic, but unlike these other reviewers who are too busy complaining to realize how lucky they are, I'm not well off enough to have a "widescreen high-definition" set with all the trimmings, so it doesn't matter to me whether the disc is anamorphic or not. The picture looks great, anyhow. All in all, 'Vertigo' is a classic, and a great movie to add to your collection, if not the masterpiece that everyone says it is.
Rating:
Summary: It was alright.
Review: I liked 'Vertigo'. Although I personally wouldn't call it Hitchcock's "masterpiece" (I liked 'Notorious' better), I can see why many people would think it was the be-all end-all of Hitch's career. It's probably the most beautifully filmed of all his movies, the best scored, and the most revealing about Hitchcock's own sensibilities. 'Vertigo' moved a bit slowly for my tastes, but the pacing was necessary to set up the proper tone for the story. As for the acting, Jimmy Stewart is good as always (although once again, I have to break with the majority and say that Cary Grant is my favorite leading man in any Hitchcock film), and Kim Novak gives the performance of her career. ***WARNING - POSSIBLE SPOILERS COMING*** While I do know that the story was ostensibly about Scottie's building -- and finally uncontrollable -- obsession with Madeline, I found it hard to stomach some of the misogyny that came along with it, such as Judy's forced change of appearance, and her constant acquiescence to Scottie at the cost of her own self-esteem. But, keeping in mind the lack of concern about such things in the time period when the original story was written, or in the time that the film was released, it's easy enough to put aside. Maybe the greatest achievements of 'Vertigo' lay on the technical side of moviemaking. The opticals (the zooming "vertigo" effect; the spinning motif behind Scottie in his delusions; the green light that bathes Judy in the hotel room), the lush VistaVision cinematography, and the masterful score by Bernard Hermann are the true stars of the film. The DVD itself is a real knockout, with slavishly restored sound and picure, insightful commentary, a documentary, the original ending, and other features. The score really kicks out well on the multi-speaker setup. The reframed 1.85:1 picture isn't anamorphic, but unlike these other reviewers who are too busy complaining to realize how lucky they are, I'm not well off enough to have a "widescreen high-definition" set with all the trimmings, so it doesn't matter to me whether the disc is anamorphic or not. The picture looks great, anyhow. All in all, 'Vertigo' is a classic, and a great movie to add to your collection, if not the masterpiece that everyone says it is.
Rating:
Summary: ***** For the Movie - *** for the Non-Anamorphic DVD.
Review: The PAL DVD versions are Anamorphic. The NTSC version is not. Translation, Universal Studios thinks that Americans are too stupid to realize the difference.
Rating:
Summary: VERTIGO is Classic, but Where's the Anamorphic Version??
Review: There is no arguing that VERTIGO is a materpiece of filmaking. The art direction, acting, cinematography, and Hitchcock's direction are incredible. My biggest qualm with this DVD is that there is no Anamorphic version included! I recently upgraded my television to a 16:9 widescreen, High Def set. Most of my DVDs look gorgeous on it. VERTIGO does not -- there is no Anamorphic version on this disc, which means that for people like me who have 16:9 televisions we have two choices: (1) watch the film in "widescreen mode", which elongates the letterbox frame and distorts the image, or (2) watch the film in "square" format, letterboxed, which is not why I bought a widescreen television! Some would say "just zoom!" -- but for those who have watched TRUE Anamorphic transfers, zooming is a silly option. This is very disappointing. I then put in my other Universal Hitchcock DVDs (MARNIE, THE BIRDS) and they *are* Anamorphic, but the quality looks terrible. I'm not a DVD expert, but they look very "pixilated" -- like some of those low-quality videos you watch online. I popped in NORTH BY NORTHWEST, which is a Warner Brothers DVD, and it looks gorgeous - Anamorphic, high quality transfer, no obvious "digital-izing". So I'm beginning to think that Universal and its DVD production is the culprit. I'm not impressed at all with what I've seen so far with the Hitchcock titles. If you are a widescreen television owner and appreciate a good Anamorphic (or "enhanced for widescreen") disk, you will be sorely disappointed by VERTIGO from Universal.
Rating:
Summary: Fall For Vertigo
Review: 1958's Vertigo was the fourth and finale film that Alfred Hitchcock and Jimmy Stewart made together and they went out with a masterpiece. The film centers around a familiar Hitchcock character trait, obsession. Mr. Stewart plays a retired San Francisco police detective, Scottie Ferguson, who leaves the force after bizarre rooftop chase with a criminal who falls to his death and he finds can no longer cope with his acrophobia. He is then hired by his friend Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) to follows his wife Madeline, who is played by the voluptuous Kim Novak, whom he believes is under a spell. Scottie trails Madeline to various locations in San Francisco and learns that Madeline's great-grandmother had killed herself at the same age Madeline is now and the locations have a connection to her. They eventually end up in a Mexican mission town where Scottie cannot prevent Madeline from jumping to her death. Scottie is traumatized and spends a long time in an asylum. Upon his release, he sees Judy Barton (also played by Ms. Novak) who bears a remarkable resemblence to Madeline. Scottie becomes obsessed with Judy and tries to mold her into Madeline, but along the way he discovers a sinister secret about Judy and a horrible plot of foul play. Vertigo is hailed by many to be Mr. Hitchcock's masterpiece. While it is not as popular as some his other films like Psycho and The Birds, the film is a brilliant display of storytelling and is magnificently filmed using the panoramic San Francisco landscape as a intricate part of the plot.
Rating:
Summary: Hitchcock's Masterful Tale of Neurosis and Obsession
Review: Vertigo brilliantly and hypnotically displays many of Hitchcock's famous themes: the ordinary man caught up in a world of intrigue beyond his control (Scotty), the icy, mysterious blonde (Madeline), the smothering maternal figure (Midge), the obsession with the past, and the blurring of the line between illusion and reality. All of the aforementioned elements are enhanced by Bernard Hermann's passionate, romantic music, and combine to make this film one of Hitchcock's most complex, most richly rewarding films. In "Vertigo," the characters and the viewing audience rarely know what is real and what is illusion. Many of the scenes in the film have a hazy, dreamlike quality: Madeline disappears behind and re-emerges from the Sequoia trees; Madeline steps out of the hazy, hotel light after her transformation as if she is a ghost reappearing from the past. Hitchcock brilliantly uses light, shadow and music to create a dizzingly uncertain atmosphere, forcing the audience to question what is really happening in the scene. Scotty's obsession with the past and his desire to transform the charater "Judy" into his former love "Madeline" brings up an intriguing question. To what lengths will people go to change themselves to please the one they love? How much of their identities are they willing to give up for love? Madeline poignantly says to Scotty after he has asked her to change one thing after another about herself, "If I let you change me, then will you love me?" "Vertigo" is a brilliant director working out his neurosis and obsessions through cinema. Luckily for the audience, the director is Hitchcock, and the film he has created is a fascinating, haunting masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: hold on tight
Review: Vertigo, in my opinion, is one of Hitchcock's best. James Stewert ("Scotty") plays the retired policeman who has extremely bad vertigo. Although he is retired he is called by one of his college friends to look after a special case. Kim Novak has dual roles and preforms elagantly in both. My only suggestion for this thriller is to hold on tight, there may be something unexpected at the top!
Rating:
Summary: The Master at Zenith
Review: "Vertigo" is the fulfillment of master director Alfred Hitchcock's brilliant career, a richly colorful tapestry placed on celluloid to the tune of a masterful Bernard Hermann musical score and a probing script by Alec Coppel and Samuel A. Taylor containing unending clever psychological twists. James Stewart suffers from vertigo or dizziness from scaling heights after a close scrape with death on a tall San Francisco building left the fellow officer who attempted to rescue him dead, resulting in Stewart's retirement from the force. Stewart is sought out by former college classmate Tom Helmore, who has become a powerful shipping magnate through marriage, to take on a private sleuthing job. Stewart at first adamantly refuses, then changes his mind. Helmore reveals that his wife is under the spell out one Carlotta Valdez, a former San Francisco resident who committed suicide one century earlier. Despite believing the idea cockeyed, Stewart agrees to undertake the job. The gripping psychological drama finds Kim Novak, in one of her early roles, playing the dual part of Madeleine Elster, the alleged wife of Helmore, and Judy Barton, a San Francisco department store sales clerk who agreed to undertake a role to aid the unscrupulous shipping magnate. Helmore wants his wife out of the way and devises a ghoulishly clever plan to achieve his objective without suspicion being directed his way. The discovery by Stewart leads to dramatic results. Stewart is at his best as a sincerely intentioned ex-cop who falls head over heels over a woman he ultimately learns never existed, except in counterfeit form. Helmore did a perfect job of making the commonly spoken, decidedly middle class Judy Barton into the elegantly dressed and articulate aristocratic socialite Madeleine Elster. Stewart desperately seeks to make over Barton after meeting her, while she attempts to hang on to her individuality and get him to love her for herself, fearing that he will unlock the mystery surrounding her past. The psychological clashes are stupendous with Stewart and Novak making screen magic. She loves Stewart while he cannot forget the haunting image of Madeleine Elster.
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