Channel: MovieNight

Category: Film & Animation

Tags: psychologicalscottie fergusonmaster of suspensethrillersuspensedramadvdbarbara bel geddes#jpmnreviewcriticismtom helmoresan franciscohitchcockd'entre les mortsmurderdirectorjames stewartfilm reviewfilmjimmy stewartmovie reviewfilm noirvertigo reviewdetectivekim novakvertigoalfred hitchcockhitchock movieshdblu-raycommentary

Description: • Vertigo (1958) - Influential and interesting, but it feels like an unfinished concept, 6/10. WATCH full episodes of "Movie Night" -- bit.ly/JogJPMN READ my un-filmed reviews / scripts: bit.ly/JPMNNotFilmed FOLLOW me on Letterboxd to see what I'm watching / rating: bit.ly/JonLetterboxd ~~ Movie Night ~~ Your host, and film critic Jonathan Paula reviews everything from opening day releases, recent DVDs, upcoming trailers, and classics from years past. Each "Quick Review" is an excerpt from a full episode, which airs on the Jogwheel channel every week. ~~ Watch More Reviews ~~ Browse By Year ----- bit.ly/MNYear Browse By Rating --- bit.ly/MNRating Trailer Reviews ------- bit.ly/MNTrailers ~~ Other Channels ~~ Jogwheel (Main channel) --- bit.ly/Jogwheel Jon's World (2nd channel) -- bit.ly/JonWorld The Microwave Show --------- bit.ly/TMSArchive uStream Live Shows ---------- bit.ly/JogLive ~~ Social Media & Merch ~~ Twitter ---------------------------- bit.ly/JonTW Facebook ----------------------- bit.ly/JonFBFan Instagram ----------------------- bit.ly/JonInsta Patreon -------------------------- bit.ly/JonPatreon Letterboxd ---------------------- bit.ly/JonLetterboxd T-Shirts -------------------------- bit.ly/JogStore ~~ Credits ~~ Created by ------ Jonathan Paula Camera ---------- Panasonic HMC-150 Microphone ----- Sennheiser ME 66 Software --------- Adobe Premiere Pro CC 2015 Computer ------- bit.ly/JonPaulaPC • Jogwheel Productions © 2016 • ~~ Script ~~ One of this director's best is honestly one of my least favorites. This G-rated picture from Alfred Hitchcock was released nationwide on May 9, 1958 - where it grossed $14 million at the box office. The 128-minute psychological thriller film was produced on a $2.5 million budget, and stars James Stewart in his fourth and final Hitchcock production. Jimmy is, well... serviceable in the lead role. The versatile actor and his English director had grown a close report over the years, and yet I can't help but feel like he was miscast here. Twenty five years older than his young co-star, he's still never quite mature enough for the serious, suicide-focused plot. The narrative follows Stewart as a retired detective, suffering from a fear of heights, who investigates the strange behavior of an old friend's wife, becoming obsessed with her in the process. He charges towards his fear by declaring, "One final thing I have to do... and then I'll be free of the past." The beautiful Kim Novak is fantastic as his love-interest, portraying a figurative dual role, depending on her character's behavior and situation. When she enters a trance-like state, and falls into San Francisco Bay, Stewart immediately breaks cover to rescue her, in a carefully shot and executed sequence. The two are able to sell the realism of individual scenes, but the overarching plot is convoluted and hard to swallow. Barbara Bel Geddes and Tom Helmore round out the supporting cast with very interesting characters... but they're sadly absent from the final act, with no real resolution provided to their characters. The story is extremely slow moving, especially early on... but once it does pick up the pace several twists are introduced to keep things captivating. An almost overbearing score from Bernard Herrmann helps elevate the tension in the more exciting moments; especially during an inventive, half-animated dream sequence that incorporates some haunting visuals. Filmed in "high fidelity vista vision", the tall 16:9 lens is filled with bright colors, beautiful San Franciscan locations, and sharp framing. This film was also the first to use Hitchcock's famous "dolly-in, zoom-out" camera technique, now affectingly known as the "Vertigo effect". This simple maneuver is utilized with great effectiveness during pivotal moments in the story to convey Stewart's acrophobia. Hugely influential, this background compression camera-move has been implemented in dozens of classics over the years, including "Jaws", "Scarface", "Apollo 13", and many more. A highly regarded film, including two Oscar nominations, this picture has gained enormous praise in the sixty years since its release, with the American Film Institute ranking it 9th on their "100 Years...100 Movies" list. Perhaps I wasn't in the "correct" state-of-mind when watching, but I honestly didn't really enjoy it. Especially not when compared to Hitchcock's other, arguably more impressive projects. The below-average portrayal from Stewart, coupled with a confusing, perplexing plot and huge stretches without any real tension made this picture decidedly average. Thankfully, the excellent technical work make it worth watching. "Vertigo" is a GOOD movie... influential and interesting, but it feels like an unfinished concept. ~