Vertigo

I do not know much about the lives of The Master (read Satyajit Ray) & Alfred Hitchcock. However, if I were to hazard a guess, I would stick my neck out and say they were very close friends. If not, they were at least huge fans of each other. What else would explain the stunning similarity between their styles of movie making.

No other movie would epitomize this theory more than Vertigo. Hitchcock’s capability to build suspense out of just images and music is taken to a level that very few can imagine even today. From the first few minutes – and don’t miss the titling that will give you a sense of Vertigo on the big screen – Hitchcock makes it amply clear that less than 25% of the movie has dialogues in it. But worry not because the music will hold you glued to the screen like there is no tomorrow.

When Pierre Boileau & Thomas Narcejac wrote their novel D'Entre Les Morts, they would not have expected in the least bit to be immortalized by Hitchcock. I am sure they would be pleased beyond expectations with the response to the movie.

John “Scottie” Ferguson (James Stewart) has been forced to move out of police work because of acrophobia – the fear of heights – more often than not described incorrectly as Vertigo. A pity, he learnt about it at the expense of a cop who dies trying to save Scottie.

As Scottie is trying to come to terms with his new life – or lack of it – a blast from the past comes in to kind of save him from unemployment. Gavin Elster (Tom Helmore) who had all but disappeared around the war returns to manage his wife’s ailing shipping business. Gavin and Scottie were together in school.

Gavin wants Scottie to trail his wife Madeline (Kim Novak) who has of late been behaving quite strangely. She loses attention in fits and starts and moves into a different world altogether. It is like she has been possessed with a ghost of sorts. And then there are times when she takes long drives and comes back with no recollection of them. Gavin is unable to understand why. He trusts her but wants to understand more.

Hitchcock takes the aspect of the unknown and twists and turns it around in a manner that only he can. If I were to hazard a guess as to how he manages to achieve this, it could be because there are just 2 leads and 2 supporting actors worth mentioning in the movie. It just makes it so much easier to manage. So even if Ellen Corby – the manager of the McKittrick hotel has to be on screen, she has about a minute or 2 of screen time.

James Stewart’s performance did not earn him an Academy nomination but he brings the element of suspicion, awe and disbelief to life extremely well. Kim Novak pretty much nails the fact that actresses of over 50 years back were a mix of great looks and talent. Some of our current crop to pick a cue or 2 from them.

Firmly entrenched in the Top 50 movies of all time from imdb and @ #9 on American Film Institute’s top 100 movies of all time, Vertigo is one movie that you just cannot miss. Definitely a 9 on 10.

Trailer on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5jvQwwHQNY