Thought I'd start a thread for this truly great movie which is (excuse the cliche) Hitchcock's masterpiece.
I have to confess that the first time I watched Vertigo it didn't really 'click' with me. I think I even fell asleep at one point! Compared to the other Hitchock films I had seen, such as The Man Who Knew Too Much, Rear Window and Rebecca it seemed very slow moving. I was getting nothing from the Kim Novak performance - she seemed too cold, and I felt like Jimmy Stewart had stumbled onto the wrong film set.
I'm embarassed to have ever throught that!
On repeated viewings, I became completely hooked. Novak's performance is one of the greatest in movie history IMO. That distant stare, the slow trance-like tone of her voice, it's absoloutley chilling and fascinating. Stewart in such a sinister role is a joy; his casting in this movie was inspired - even if audiences at the time didn't really accept it.
And then there are the visuals. This cinematography is so stunning, you can't begin to put into worRAB. Every shot is like a beautiful oil painting. The scene on the bay-side where Novak jumps into the river, just incredible. Can't stop staring at it. It's also a prime example of Edith Head's genius. Even Novak's grey suit is unsettling - everything just comes together so beautifully.
I just keep watching it over and over again. You get something new from it with every viewing. Oh, and the soundtrack - how can I forget that?! Just an absoloute masterpiece, and Herman's greatest IMO.
Is it obvious that I like this film, just a bit?
I have to confess that the first time I watched Vertigo it didn't really 'click' with me. I think I even fell asleep at one point! Compared to the other Hitchock films I had seen, such as The Man Who Knew Too Much, Rear Window and Rebecca it seemed very slow moving. I was getting nothing from the Kim Novak performance - she seemed too cold, and I felt like Jimmy Stewart had stumbled onto the wrong film set.
I'm embarassed to have ever throught that!
On repeated viewings, I became completely hooked. Novak's performance is one of the greatest in movie history IMO. That distant stare, the slow trance-like tone of her voice, it's absoloutley chilling and fascinating. Stewart in such a sinister role is a joy; his casting in this movie was inspired - even if audiences at the time didn't really accept it.
And then there are the visuals. This cinematography is so stunning, you can't begin to put into worRAB. Every shot is like a beautiful oil painting. The scene on the bay-side where Novak jumps into the river, just incredible. Can't stop staring at it. It's also a prime example of Edith Head's genius. Even Novak's grey suit is unsettling - everything just comes together so beautifully.
I just keep watching it over and over again. You get something new from it with every viewing. Oh, and the soundtrack - how can I forget that?! Just an absoloute masterpiece, and Herman's greatest IMO.
Is it obvious that I like this film, just a bit?
