Film Analysis: Exploring Themes and Techniques in Hitchcock's Vertigo

This essay provides a detailed analysis of Alfred Hitchcock's film 'Vertigo'. It explores the film's key ideologies, including the interplay of death as both frightening and attractive, the theme of impenetrable appearances, and the presence of romantic delusion. The analysis delves into specific scenes and characters, such as Scottie's acrophobia and the contrasting characters of Madeleine and Midge. Furthermore, the essay examines the explicit features of the film, like power, freedom, and the use of tunnels and spirals, as well as the implicit ideas, such as the symbolic use of the color green. The essay references scholarly works to support its claims, offering a comprehensive understanding of the film's narrative and cinematic techniques.

Running head: FILM MAKING
Film Making
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Author Note

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There are many ideologies that are present in Vertigo, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The
movie revolves around death that acted as both frightening and attractive. The second
ideology that can be found in the movie is that appearances that are impenetrable in nature.
Another major ideology that can be found in the movie is that there is lack of sense in the
romantic delusion that is present in the movie (Kilbourn).
The first ideology that is death has been characterized as frightening and attractive
can be seen in the first scene as well. The movie begins where Scottie is seen hanging from
the roof of a tall building, which showcases the moment of death. It can be seen that the fear
is palpable in the eyes of the character. It can be seen that Scottie was terrified and the only
way to avoid it was letting go of the event. The second ideology of the movie is that the
appearances are impenetrable. It can be seen that the shot of a face of the women is
expressionless, as the camera pans from the lips of the woman towards her daunting eyes.
The scene that is done in Midge’s apartment shows that Scottie has an experience that
traumatizes him but later it can be understood that the madness that was hidden behind it was
the main motive (Pippin).
The romantic delusion in the movie has been presented in a good sense, as it can be
seen that Scottie has acrophobia and uses the technique of Achilles’ heel to fool himself. This
results in others fooling him in an easy manner as well. The romantic delusion that is present
in the movie also has an antithesis within the character of Midge who is firmly grounded on
to the real world, which helped her in providing matured love to Scottie (Kilbourn). It is seen
that Scottie rejects the love of Midge due to the illusive nature that he finds in Madeleine.
This leads to the tragic ending of the film, as the viewers are made to believe that the
characters submit to the delusionary image of romance (Iannone).

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The explicit features that are present in the film are the power and freedom, which
was seen as a privilege in the past. This can be explained through a particular scene where
Gavin Elster states that he missed the men from the past who had the power and freedom to
Scottie. Power and freedom can again be found in another scene where it is seen that Judy is
dragged on to the stairs of bell tower by Scottie. There has been an explicit use of tunnels and
corridors as well in the movie where the first tunnel scene can be seen when the camera
shows that Scottie is clinging to a rooftop gutter (Kilbourn). Just after this shot, the camera
moves towards the building side, which creates an effect of the tunnel. Another brilliant
example that has been created by Hitchcock is the motif of tunnel-death that can be found
outside the apartment of Judy. Another tunnel effect can be seen when Judy is seen travelling
in the car of Scottie to San Juan Bautista so that the crime can be traced in a proper manner
(Pippin).
Another explicit feature in the movie is the use of spirals that creates an effect of
vertigo on Scottie and Judy. The beginning of the movie shows the spiral effect through the
eyes of a woman. Another spiral effect can be seen when the zoom of the camera captures the
bun of Madeleine in a spiral effect, which is a replica of the style that is worn by Carlotta
(Iannone).
The implicit ideas that are present in the movie is the use of the colour green, which is
associated with the uncanny and the eerie feelings present in the movie. This can be
explained in a better manner when Madeleine can be seen in Ernie’s restaurant with a green
stole that shows an appearance that is startling in nature. In another scene it can be seen that
Judy appears to be wearing a green dress, which indicates that she is a ghost of Madeleine. It
can be seen the room of Madeleine is lit up through the green neon sign that is placed outside
of the room. Therefore, it can be seen that green symbolizes life in the movie as well as the
ghostly appearances that are present in the movie (Pippin).

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Reference List
Kilbourn, Russell JA. "The Second Look, the Second Death: WG Sebald's Orphic Adaptation
of Hitchcock's Vertigo." Clues 31.1 (2013): 79.
Pippin, Robert B. The Philosophical Hitchcock:“vertigo” and the Anxieties of
Unknowingness. University of Chicago Press, 2017.
Iannone, Pasquale. "On the road with Hitchcock and Herrmann: sound, music and the car
journey in Vertigo (1958) and Psycho (1960)." Partners in Suspense: Critical Essays on
Bernard Herrmann and Alfred Hitchcock (2016): 89.