Vertigo

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Written by: Alec Coppel, Samuel A. Taylor (screenplay); Pierre Boileau, Thomas Narcejac (novel)

It may hard to imagine now, but Hitchock's masterpiece "Vertigo" was apparently not well received when it was released. In retrospect, though, it is clear what a cinematic achievement the film represents, and its influence is hard to ignore.

Detective Scottie Ferguson (Stewart) has been forced into retirement after a terrible accident in which his acrophobia resulted in the death of another officer. But when his old friend Gavin Elster (Heldmore) asks him to follow his wife Madeline (Novak) around, Ferguson agrees to take the job on. It seems that Madeline is periodically possessed by the spirit of one of her ancestors, and Ferguson becomes obsessed with breaking her of this problem until she throws herself from a church bell tower. Her death, though, is not the end, and nothing is quite as it seems.

The film starts off slow - almost tediously slow. As Ferguson stalks Madeline around various locales in San Francisco, there are long droughts lacking dialogue or meaningful action. But be patient - the payoff is absolutely worth it. (Also, it's fun to look at old San Francisco.)

There are several major twists placed throughout the story, so don't get too comfortable thinking you know what is going on. I'd seen this movie before several years before, and I was still surprised at one point. There are layers and stories-within-stories which can make trying to follow along somewhat dizzying. (Hence, the title.)

This may not be James Stewart's most spectacular performance, but it is definitely one of his most believable. After a few early scenes, he easily shakes off that "Hey, you're watching Jimmy Stewart!" feeling. He manages to play his character subtly, providing him a rich range of feelings without necessarily needing to show all those feelings.

Lastly, it was fun to see the film which plays such a large part in another one of my favorite films - "Twelve Monkeys."

"Vertigo" is an excellent starting-off point for those unfamiliar with Hitchcock's work. It is easily the most accessible film while also being representative of his style. It is absolutely a classic.