Rating: 
Summary: Jimmy Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock created a Masterpiece...
Review: Although Alfred Hitchcock is universally acclaimed as a film director and something like 70 or 80 movies were made under his gifted hand, only a few have risen to be considered "cream of the crop", and "Vertigo" stands alongside "Rear Window", "North by Northwest", and "Psycho" as among the Master's greatest.Vertigo is a very "adult" story, and although there's nothing in the movie that would be inappropriate for children to watch, this movie only "means" something to people who understand things like lust and love and betrayal. Jimmy Stewart did some of his greatest work for Mr. Hitchcock - particularly in Vertigo and Rear Window, and Kim Novak gives one of the greatest femme fatale performances in cinematic history, even though Vera Miles was Hitch's first choice for the role. To preserve the value of his estate for his heirs Hitchcock removed 5 of his movies from circulation and the first time I saw "Vertigo" was in an art-house cinema at it's reissue in the mid-80's. At the end of that viewing I sat motionless in the theater for several minutes with my heart pounding from the emotional response produced by this film. I can't think of any other film that stunned me as much as this one. Like many film lovers I have compiled a list of my very favorite movies and my "top five" list is: 1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. Casablanca
3. To Kill A Mockingbird
4. The Godfather
5. Vertigo If you fancy the first four and haven't seen #5 on my list - I recommend it. One word of caution: The film requires close observation from start to finish. There are extended sequences that contain no dialogue whatsoever and "following" the story requires that you watch what the characters are doing. The score by Mr. Herrmann is one of his best and fits perfectly. The costumes, set design, cinematography are all perfect fits for the story. In addition to being just a doggone fine movie, there were also many innovations that have been copied over and over since. For example, the famous "vertigo" shot (produced by zooming the lens forward while simultaneously physically moving the camera backwards) was invented for this film. And think about how many times you have seen THIS shot: the characters are motionless in the center of the frame while the camera circles 360 degrees around them and the surroundings swoosh by - as far as I can tell this technique was first used in this film as well. Another technical note: The movie was perfectly restored more than 2 decades after it's initial release, and the transfer seen on this DVD looks fantastic. I can't recommend this more highly.
Rating:
Summary: Beyond Reason
Review: Alfred Hitchcock once said that "Vertigo" was his favorite example, among his own movies, of emotion being stronger than logic. Logically, the story is flat-out ridiculous but such was the skill of the director that you are willing and even anxious to excuse the implausibility just to see how it turns out. James Stewart is an ex-cop in San Francisco who becomes literally mesmerized by Kim Novak and is turned into a pawn in a murder scheme. He begins to snap out of it when he spots her on the street in an entirely different guise, after the crime in which she was supposedly killed. Hitchcock was reportedly keenly familiar with the way love could unhinge somebody; he carried torches for Ingrid Bergman and Grace Kelly for years. Novak's part was clearly designed with Kelly in mind, but she does a fine job with it anyway. Probably no city in the world was ever filmed to such gorgeous advantage as San Francisco was in this great project.
Rating:
Summary: A Treasured Masterpiece!!
Review: I remember watching this movie as a kid on a late night TV show as a kid in the early 70's and was immediately hooked as a Hitchcock fan! It would be another 20 years before it was restored to its original release, and what a re-release it is! I recommend watching this on a widescreen television with surround sound or in a movie theatre. Regular television doesn't do this movie justice. It is a treaured masterpiece!
Rating:
Summary: Disturbing Look Into the Human Mind
Review: This is one of my most favorite of film's from Hitchcock's great legacy. I still remember how surprised I was by the way the movie ended. Of course you expect a happy ending for the movie.
However, one should learn to never underestimate Hitchcock. I love how artistic this movie is. And how it takes a life on it's own.
There is so much wonderful suspense in it. I also love the background music. The music is haunting perfect for the move.
Truly one of the master director's great works. That is now truly being cherished in public.
Rating:
Summary: very good
Review: [WARNING: movies spoilers ahead] Recently I watched Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, and The Birds. Out of these four, I only liked Vertigo... the other was not much of anything new, probably due to so many other movies imitating it... but god... even if none did that, can Read WIndow be so highly acclaimed as it is? It feels only like a low budget Hong Kong black and white movie made in two weeks. The plot sucked. Even some re-run of Hitchcock on the TV that is 30 minutes long have more twist and surprise and ending better than The Birds, Psycho, and Rear Window. But Vertigo is a lot better and if you watch only one movie out of these four Hitchcock movies, watch Vertigo. I shouldn't say too much to Vertigo and it may give the suspense away.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful, Suspenseful and Haunting
Review: Scenes from this movie will linger in your mind long after the first viewing. Hitchcock is the master of plot and letting a story build. "The Sixth Sense" had a suspenseful tone similar to the one in this movie. There is a twist in the plot that is a great "aha" but even after several viewings there are many interesting layers to this film. Look for Barbara Bel Geddes (Ms. Ellie from Dallas) in a minor role. James Steward is great as the vulnerable male lead. This is probably Kim Novak's best performance. Pay attention to the plot and enjoy this great film.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: I am very perplexed by the continual knocks to this film by previous reviewers due to the plot's implausibility. This is a surrealistic story with great depth and characterisation that achieves a level of dreaminess unparalleled by any film. This film is more watchable on every viewing. The first viewing is for the plot, the second, third, fourth and even fifth allow a viewer to uncover the nuance, irony, and the hints that foreshawdow and provide clues to the truth before the plot arrives to its conclusion. Kim Novak's performance is exceptional, but if you're only viewing the movie for the story, you will not appreciate her ability to play her character. I first saw this moview after Rear Window and was disappointed. Now that I have seen it several times, it's leaped up to being one of my favorite movies of all time.
Rating:
Summary: Haunted
Review: Echoes of VERTIGO reverberate through the films of David Lynch, Terry Gilliam, and Brian De Palma. In fact, the film's hallucinatory images, Wagnerian musical score, and famous "zoom-pullback" photography have become a part of our collective film psyches. And no wonder: the film is one of the American cinema's most haunting. James Stewart's performance is a classic, one of our great actors exploring his dark side fearlessly and passionately. His final ascent up the bell tower with Kim Novak (who eerily handles the peculiar demands of her role) is terrifying and unforgettable. This man's descent into obsession has been so vividly rendered that we almost can't bear to see what happens next. What is most astonishing about VERTIGO is how beautiful it is. Hitchcock photographs San Francisco in vivid color and seemingly through a series of filters which lend it a dreamy, surrealistic quality. It is rare to find a film that works on you long after the lights have gone up, but VERTIGO's potent mix of erotic obsession, fetishism, and anxiety will stay with you for years to come. Is it any wonder that its images keep showing up in our films?
Rating: 
Summary: Letterbox format
Review: I'm not going to waste your time telling you about this movie. You already know all there is to know - it's a classic. I've been collecting Hitchcock movies for years - and am currently upgrading my titles from VHS tape to DVD (widescreen, where appropriate). Widescreen is appropriate in this case (1.85:1) - but we are only offered the film in letterbox format. That is a significant compromise - I wanted anamorphic widescreen (enhanced for 16:9 screens). Three stars for half-hearted effort.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning
Review: To say that VERTIGO is merely good is an understatement of the first order. It is arguably the crowning achievement of Alfred Hitchcock's career and indisputably the greatest example of pure emotion expressed in cinematic form from among his fifty three films. A basic overview of the story: Scottie (Jame Stewart), a retired detective, is hired to investigate the daily routines of Madeleine (Kim Novak), a former collegemate's wife. Madeleine, according to her husband, is haunted and possessed by the vengeful spirit of her suicidal grandmother. As he follows her around varying locales of San Francisco, Scottie becomes evermore intrigued by her strange behavior. Soon he finds himself rescuing her from the waters below Golden Gate bridge in what was an apparent suicide attempt. Things quickly get complicated. Although there are several well-executed plot twists, they are not there as the main focus of the film. Rather, like the cinematography, acting, and wonderful score by Bernard Herrmann, they serve to establish the raw emotions of Scottie onscreen. These elements work in perfect harmony to convey the growing, and ultimately tragic, obsessiveness that consumes him. This obsession becomes almost tangible in the way that it enthralls the viewer as well. We are privy to the mental state of Scottie, and like him, we are drawn in, not by the Madeleine he knows, but by the Madeleine that is constructed in the images and sounds of cinematic perfection. I give VERTIGO my highest recommendation. The extras on this DVD are very good as well, and simply icing on an already delicious cake.
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