DVD. Feature film. Hitchcock dir. film starring Jimmy Stewa rt & Kim Novak.
A detective tails a cool, glamorous woman around the equally glamorous San Francisco of the 1950s; his fear of heights prevents him from saving her life. Obsessed with the dead woman, he stalks, meets, and manipulates a suspiciously similar-looking, if somewhat lower-class, woman, who inexplicably falls for him even though he demands she change her identity to match his fantasy. VERTIGO is an Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece, in Technicolor as lurid as its plot. The year 1996 saw the acclaimed rerelease of a restored, remastered version. The film is based on the novel D'ENTRE LES MORTS by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac.
VERTIGO is Alfred Hitchcock's haunting tale of deception, madness, and death--a masterful exploration of fantasy and anxiety. The film ranks with REAR WINDOW as one of the director's most closely studied films for its psychological complexity, while the obsession of its protagonist--John "Scottie" Ferguson (James Stewart)--can also be seen to parallel that of Hitchcock's own fascination with the icy-blonde leading lady he re-created at the center of so many of his films. Ferguson is a retired detective, his career ended by the onset of a paralyzing fear of heights. An old friend, the wealthy Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore), hires Ferguson to follow his wife (Kim Novak), whom, he explains, has grown obsessed with an ancestor of hers. The assignment, however, draws Ferguson out of his comfortable role as observer and into a complex web of intrigue, mingled with the detective's own fantasies and fears.
Stewart gives an exceptional performance as the disintegrating detective, while Novak, who was left largely undirected by Hitchcock, conveys a subtle and powerful psychological journey. Another star of the film is its San Francisco setting. VERTIGO is considered one of Hitchcock's most complex, finest films.
Hitchcock cameo: Hitchcock appears walking in the street about 10 minutes into the film.
VERTIGO is number 61 on the American Film Institute's list of America's 100 Greatest Movies.
VERTIGO was an original selection to the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 1989.
VERTIGO, along with REAR WINDOW, THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY, ROPE, and MR. AND MRS. SMITH, was unavailable for several years. It was rereleased in January 1984.
Vera Miles, who also appeared in Hitchcock's THE WRONG MAN and PSYCHO, was originally slated to play the role of Madeleine but had to bow out when she became pregnant just prior to production.
Allegedly, Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac wrote their novel in hopes that Hitchcock would purchase it for adaptation.
James Katz and Robert Harris led an ambitious $1 million restoration of the film. They created a new preservation negative in 65mm from all the film's original large-format elements. Instead of reduction printing in 35mm, however, they transferred it to 70mm--something done for the first time ever--which has been called Super VistaVision 70. They re-created the movie frame by frame, adding new sound effects, remixing the score, and redoing the title sequence digitally. This restored version was shown at the New York Film Festival October 4 & 5, 1996. It was released theatrically in New York City October 6, 1996.
Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai (IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE) said about VERTIGO, "I got to thinking that Stewart's character is actually quite a fake. If he had been played by John Malkovich, the whole thing would have been different."
Vertigo Reviews:
"...Alfred Hitchcock took universal emotions, like fear, guilt and lust, placed them in ordinary characters, and developed them in images more than in words....A great film..."
-- Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"...Widely regarded as Alfred Hitchcock's greatest film and certainly his most disturbing..."
-- Mike Clark, USA Today
"...An unexpectedly personal tale of obsession..."
-- Ty Burr, Entertainment Weekly
"[T]he best movie ever made about romantic obsession..."-- Mike Clark, USA Today
5 stars out of 5 -- "Drenched in suspense and dipped in a dollop of despair, nothing is what it seems..."-- Total Film Staff, Total Film
5 stars out of 5 -- "Authentically scary, sexy and disturbing."-- Kim Newman, Empire
Classic film in classic style Hitchcock's "Vertigo" is widely considered to be his masterpiece and would be found on the Top Ten films of all time for many people. This reconstruction on DVD presents the film with comsummate clarity of image and sound, including the colors which were a key part of Hitch's subliminal symbolism, and the marvelous Bernard Herrmann score. If you had only a handful of films on your shelf this should be one, to be played over and over again. Submitted by Audrae (San Ramon, CA, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
superb entertainment
Considered by many to be a masterpiece, Vertigo is most definitely a remarkable movie.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo tells the story of a San Francisco detective played by James Stewart who whilst suffering from acrophobia is hired to investigate the mysterious behaviour of the wife of an old friend.
This newly restored widescreen collector's edition looks and sounds fantastic, the special features are very interesting and include a revealng commentary with associate producer Herbert Coleman and interview with the directors daughter Pat Hitchcook. If you have never seen Vertigo before it's convoluted story line will keep you on the edge of your seat, if on the other hand like myself you are familiar with the film you will still marvel at the brilliance of Hitchcock.
Kim Novak playing the roll of Madeline looks stunning as do the San Francisco locations and Bernard Herrmann's romantic and at times ethereal score assist in raising the ranking of this movie up to five stars. Submitted by kennethcliffordlaws (Atlanta Ga USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
AMAZING Vertigo is without a doubt one of the greatest and most psychologically complex pictures ever made. This film is definitely Hitch's most personal film and is considered a classic up until this day. Vertigo deals with obsession, murder, guilt, love, voyeurism and other aspects which make it one of the most significant films ever made. Kim Novak did an incredible job playing 2 different amazing roles and her performance is considered as being one of the greatest performances in cinema history. Jimmy Stewart plays a retired detective who suffers from vertigo and is afraid of high places due to his accident. He is hired by Gavin Elster, who is an old friend, to keep an eye on his wife. He begins to follow Madeline all over San Francisco and from there the film engages in twists and turns. That's exactly what the master of suspense loved to portray in his films, MYSTERY. Everything about this film is great. The scores from Bernard Hermann in this film are considered some of the greatest scores in movie history. The unbelievable camera shots and the way this film was able to tell a story in a uniquely captivating way is truly amazing. This film has been impersonated so many times and is still talked about and imitated in mass media as well as cultural media. When this film was released it wasn't a big success. Critics dismissed it and audiences ignored it. Although today some people consider it to be Hitch's greatest film. Overtime it has become a phenomenon. Vertigo is on the top ten greatest movies list of the AFI. I think that this is Hitch's second greatest masterpiece behind Psycho. Vertigo requires multiple viewings for you to appreciate the brilliance and the complexity of the film. The ending is considered one of the greatest and most emotional endings in cinema history. Definitely a 5 star ultimate Hitchcock thriller which will stand the test of time. Submitted by Joey 34 (L.A California, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Classic Some people consider Vertigo to be the ultimate Hitchcock thriller. It is on the top 10 greatest movie list of the American Film Institute. It is one of the most important pictures ever made. This is definately the most complex Hitch film and the plot keeps you thinking and the suspence keeps you interested. Jimmy Stewart played his role perfectly and Kim Novak also did an unbelivable job aswell. I believe this is Alfred Hitchcocks 3rd greatest film behind Psycho and Rear Window. Vertigo is the film which cemented Alfred Hitchcock as being the greatest director in the world. Jimmy Stewart plays a man who is suffering from Vertigo and he is hired by a friend to keep an eye on his wife. The plot thickens , and there is more to the story than what meets the eye. This movie represents what HItchocks cinema really stood for. The drama, suspence, thrills, acting, plot. DEFINATELY A 5 STAR MOVIE. Submitted by Jonna (Manhattan, New York\) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Good script This film, as with many of Hitchcock’s other classics, has a documentary feel. It pauses on light enjoyable scenery, and there are many repeats of visual traditions in the film, such as the atmosphere of Scottie’s driving as he follows Madeleine. The dalogue from the script is the best part in this film. Submitted by apehaskilledape (London) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
Region 1 Keep Case Single Side - Dual Layer Collectors Edition Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85 Letterbox - 1.85 Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1 - English Additional Release Material: Film Highlights Production Interviews Trailers Alternate Ending: Hitchcock's Foreign Censorship Featurette: OBSESSED WITH VERTIGO Audio Commentary: Restoration Team Text/Photo Galleries: Production Notes Biograpahies:
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