Vertigo (1958)

★ 8.1 2h 8m 6,280 votes IMDb
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A retired San Francisco detective suffering from acrophobia investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.

Vertigo

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Cast

James Stewart
James Stewart as Det. John 'Scottie' Ferguson Died 1997 · Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA James Maitland "Jimmy" Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered...
Kim Novak
Kim Novak as Madeleine Elster / Judy Barton Age 93 · Chicago, Illinois, USA Marilyn Pauline Novak (born February 13, 1933), known professionally as Kim Novak, is an American retired film and television actress. She began her career in 1954 after signing with Columbia Picture...
Barbara Bel Geddes
Barbara Bel Geddes as Marjorie 'Midge' Wood Died 2005 · New York City, New York, USA Barbara Bel Geddes (October 31, 1922 – August 8, 2005) was an American actress, artist and children's author. She is best known for her role in the television drama series Dallas as matriarch Eleanor...
Tom Helmore
Tom Helmore as Gavin Elster Died 1995 · London, England Thomas Percy Helmore (4 January 1904 – 12 September 1995) was an English film actor. He appeared in over 50 films between 1927 and 1972, including three directed by Alfred Hitchcock. He was born in L...
Henry Jones
Henry Jones as Coroner Died 1999 · Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA Henry Burk Jones (August 1, 1912 – May 17, 1999) was an American actor of stage, film and television. Jones was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Helen (née Burk) and John Francis Xavier...
Raymond Bailey
Raymond Bailey as Scottie's Doctor Died 1980 · San Francisco, California, USA From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Raymond Thomas Bailey (May 6, 1904 – April 15, 1980) was an American actor on the Broadway stage, films, and television. He is best known for his role as wealthy...

Audience Reviews

Eky Jun 16, 2012
All I know, this film wasn’t so successful at first and this probably because the audience didn’t expect a film so dark and claustrophobic. Vertigo was so strange already from the beginning because of its surreal and nightmarish atmosphere. I bow to Hitchcock in his creativity in visualizing Jimmy Stewart’s acrophobia by implementing one of the oldest cinematography techniques, using zoom lens as it zooms in while the object moves away, emphasizing his terrified feeling and insecurity whenever he’s at a particular height due to a chronic vertigo he suffers. As always, the film director’s cameo appearance has always been fascinating since we know it’s his habit therefore we will usually let our eyes wander throughout the film, trying to spot him. In conclusion, this timeless thriller remains a classic gem despite the emergence of new modern films. The great visual effects also seem timeless when compared to digital effects. I hope my review doesn’t give you vertigo = )
tmdb47633491 4/10 Apr 07, 2018
I will never understand the universal adoration for Vertigo. Blindly inherited wisdom is the only explanation. How anyone could prefer this to North by Northwest or Rear Window is beyond me. An exceptionally made, exceptionally boring movie
barrymost 8/10 Mar 30, 2020
A tense, dizzying thriller from the Master.

Plot in a nutshell: A retired detective suffering from acrophobia takes the case of an old college chum's wife, who may be possessed by the spirit of her great-grandmother who committed suicide many years previous. But of course, a much darker, and more down-to-earth, secret lies beneath the surface.

Comments: James Stewart is the perfect anti-hero in this: clever and brave, but also disturbed, unhinged, and at times possessive. He does a stellar job with a difficult role.

In the supporting role of Stewart's faithful friend "Midge" is Barbara Bel Geddes, and she does a delightful job.

According to one source I've read, after Vertigo flopped upon release, Hitchcock blamed Stewart, claiming he (Stewart) was too old and people no longer wanted to see him, hence the film's lack of success. When Hitchcock went on to do North By Northwest, Stewart reportedly begged Hitchcock for the lead role, but Hitchcock refused, giving the lead to Cary Grant, who was actually four years older than Stewart.

But according to a biography of Cary Grant written by Pamela Trescott, the reason Hitchcock wanted Grant instead was simply because they worked well together and had wanted to do another collaboration after the success of To Catch a Thief. In short, that the lead role for North By Northwest had been intended for Cary Grant, and no one else, right from the beginning.

All that aside, Vertigo has established a high reputation as a masterpiece of film, and rightly so. It's also beautifully photographed, and the entire film has a soft, haunting, dreamy quality to it that's utterly captivating.
JPV852 8/10 Sep 05, 2020
Not one of my favorites from Hitchcock, and certainly dower, but still visually striking and two amazing performances from James Stewart and Kim Novak. This is only the second time seeing this, guessing the last time was maybe 10 years ago or so, not entirely sure when I'll revisit it. **3.75/5**
James 9/10 Oct 14, 2023
Perhaps it’s due to my dislike for the overrated “North By Northwest”, but as of now this is my favourite Hitchcock.

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