Alfred Hitchcock is one messed-up man. It's like every movie I've seen by him (The 39 Steps, Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo) gets more progressively messed-up. And to prove it, I will be reviewing, in my opinion, Hitchcock's most messed-up film, Vertigo.After retiring from the police force due to his fear of heights, John "Scottie" Ferguson (James Stewart) is hired by a friend to watch over his wife Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak). Scottie agrees, but soon finds himself attracted to her, even though she seems possessed by a spirit of the past.
Man, this had a whole level of weird. Knowing Hitchcock, what do you expect? As for Stewart's performance, he managed to scare the hell out of me by the end of the movie.
My Rating: *****
Dear Movie Nut,
ReplyDeleteYou may be interested to know of a new novel -
Imagine the cinematic masterpiece Vertigo re-told by its tragic heroine:
The Testament of Judith Barton, a novel
www.thetestamentofjudithbarton.com/
www.facebook.com/TheTestamentofJudithBarton
Judy Barton may be the most-watched and least understood woman in movie history. Generations of viewers think Scottie Ferguson tells us all we need to know about her when he sputters, "You were his girl!" at Vertigo's climax. But what if the woman we've come to sympathize with by the time Scottie levels his deadly accusation is neither Gavin Elster's mistress, nor a willing accessory to murder?
The Testament of Judith Barton, published with permission of The Hitchcock Trust and favorably reviewed by Kirkus, tells Judy's behind-the-scenes side of the story in her own voice. Like Wicked for The Wizard of Oz, it reveals the secret history of a classic film from a mysterious woman's point of view.