Vertigo

Rating:
Summary: The Cream of Hitchcock's Crop
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, although this version of the DVD seems to be out of print and the "special edition" DVD is the same transfer.

Get this movie.

Rating:
Summary: The Cream of Hitchcock's Crop
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, although this version of the DVD seems to be out of print and the "special edition" DVD is the same transfer.

Get this movie.

Rating:
Summary: The restoration is beautiful and breath-taking.
Review: This review is for the DVD version itself. The restoration and color is beautiful. Breath-taking. The wide-screen is almost a full-screen. It is not as irratating as the DVD version of "Cleopatra". Of all versions I have seen, this DVD version made me give "Vertigo" a second look. Colors are important in this restored version because the color of say a door or the clothes that Kim Novak wears explains the psychological state of the character. One of the bonuses is a fine documentary, originally seen on American Movie Classics cable network, about the films' restoration and includes new interviews with Kim Novak and Barbara Bel Geddes.

Rating:
Summary: The restoration is beautiful and breath-taking.
Review: This review is for the DVD version itself. The restoration and color is beautiful. Breath-taking. The wide-screen is almost a full-screen. It is not as irratating as the DVD version of "Cleopatra". Of all versions I have seen, this DVD version made me give "Vertigo" a second look. Colors are important in this restored version because the color of say a door or the clothes that Kim Novak wears explains the psychological state of the character. One of the bonuses is a fine documentary, originally seen on American Movie Classics cable network, about the films' restoration and includes new interviews with Kim Novak and Barbara Bel Geddes.

Rating:
Summary: Mesmeric and haunting
Review: Vertigo is not merely a movie, but rather a mesmeric and haunting experience. From the opening titles to the last frame, this movie is nothing less than stunning in terms of its technical and aesthetic qualities, its story and plot, the meticulous and meaningful framing of each shot and its unique musical score by Bernard Herrman.
Hitchock's use of characters and characterizations, sounds, imagery and music become mere contrivances with which he masterfully leads and misleads the viewer through a dreamlike maze of events which eventually leaves the viewer exhilarated, surprised and emotionally drained! A true masterpiece which deserves multiple viewings.