Vertigo (1958) Movie REACTION!

[@mwflanagan1]

Your stunned face at the last moment of the film was gold. Exactly what Hitch wanted.

[@billolsen4360]

"The audience must suffer as much as possible." - Hitchcock

[@keithbrown8490]

I was lucky enough to see a special screening on "Vertigo" at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. with James Stewart in attendance. After the movie he did a question and answer with the audience and had many stories of this movie and working with Hitchcock. The crowd loved every moment just being with him and listening to his stories.

[@cpete2976]

I'm SO jealous! Oh how I wish I was in that audience .

[@marette2845]

Wow!!

[@joeellis3281]

This is my favorite Hitchcock movie and one of my all-time favorites. Your reactions throughout the movie are a clear indication of why these old movies are capturing your attention. Alfred Hitchcock was an obsessed man. He was obsessed with blondes and featured them in most of his movies. He was obsessed with story plotting and would spend untold hours storyboarding his movies before filming any scenes. This is a movie about obsession. When the studio gave him a free hand to direct this one, he delved into the depths of obsession to explore his own compulsions and preoccupations. The movie failed at the box office because people were not prepared for the director's vision. However, over time, the genius of the movie has been recognized. Hitchcock became the inspiration for young directors to produce their own visions rather than fulfil the expectations of studios or even the audiences. Then something unusual happened. People discovered that watching the movie multiple times deepened their fascination with the theme of obsession. People became obsessed with watching Vertigo.

[@jsharp3165]

And he was obsessed with voyeurism. Madison picked up on that right away in this movie, immediately connecting the voyeur/stalker vibes to Rear Window.

[@308W82]

The Score is by Bernard Hermann, who also wrote the very different score for Hitchcock"s "Psycho", and even the "soundtrack" for "The Birds". among many other terrific scores. For "The Birds" all those "bird calls" were electronic music -- which he oversaw! He was a master film composer!

[@davedalton1273]

Scottie didn't know Judy had pretended to be Madeline until she made the mistake of wearing the necklace. Until that moment, he had been completely taken in. This is a film about obsession, which was, it seems, Hitchcock's driving force. It is there, in most of his movies, but it had its fullest expression in Vertigo.

[@moviemonster2083]

Or maybe 'Marnie', but that's a different story!

[@TheBanner]

I disagree. I've watched this movie at least five or six times. And I too believed exactly what you stated. I look at it differently now. I have come to believe Scotty suspected that Judy was the same girl as Madeleine when he first sees her on the street. He had spent many years as a detective figuring out crimes and developing gut instincts. He is a strong character who never bought that Madeline was possessed by a spirit. As a detective he needed proof that Judy was indeed the same woman as Madeline. And so his attempts to change her clothes and her hair were actually testing her ability to keep up the charade. He thought she would reach a breaking point and tell him the truth. When he saw the necklace, that was the 100% proof he needed. Of course he looked shocked, he loved Madeline so he didn't want it to be true. He wanted her to be the Madeleine he had loved so much, and so he would kiss her passionately. But then he would be aggressive and demanding in his insistence that she change her clothes and her hair. This way of looking at the second half of the film changes our view of Scotty from a weak pathetic simp with an obsession, to a strong character we can respect and still pity his tragic situation.

[@billolsen4360]

@@TheBanner Hitchcock fans could argue about this endlessly.

[@robertjewell9727]

Fantastic reaction. My friend Dorothy's dad composed the music for this film. I really appreciate you pointing out how good the score is. The key line of dialogue in this is when Scottie says to Gavin Elster, " Anybody could become obsessed with the past with a background like that!" as you pointed out how Scottie starts having similar reactions and even a nightmare like the character Madeleine he believes to be actual does. All these parallel spirals is kind of the visual theme of the film. I've always felt that Judy's terror at the finale when she falls as the nun in shadow.appears is her fear that the actual ghost of Carlotta has arrived in vengeance, but smartly Hitchcock doesn't offer explanation, but puts in the audience's lap to decipher the results of obsessive and haunted behaviors.

[@travismcdermott6951]

Wait, your friends with Bernard Hermann’s daughter? Very cool.

[@robertjewell9727]

@@travismcdermott6951 yes, she's an absolutely wonderful person.

[@melanie62954]

Bernard Hermann was possibly the finest film composer of all time, and Vertigo is one of his best. That's so cool that you know his daughter!

[@Zombie_Trooper]

That's awesome!

[@robertjewell9727]

@@melanie62954 yes, I completely agree.

[@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.]

Such a great reaction, Madison. Johnny became obsessed with Madeline, after he realised that the necklace was the same, he realised what had gone on, Judy/Madeline had fallen in love with Johnny, once they were both up the tower they were both on edge and highly overwrought and when the Nun entered the tower and all that Judy saw was this dark spooky figure she backed away without thinking and died in the same way as Madeline and Carlota had. It's a masterful piece of film making.

[@arturocostantino623]

And the nun appeared as the judgement of Gods for murdering Madeline. Her love for Scotty is because her father died the same age Scotty is now.

[@Adam_Le-Roi_Davis.]

​@@arturocostantino623Good points.

[@chetcarman3530]

I disagree that he was playing her all along. He was unbalanced and obsessed until he saw the necklace. You can see in his face & reaction to seeing it that he didn't know till that moment.

[@walterthefilmhermit7198]

Chet, I agree with you 100%. But Madison brings up an interesting point. I do agree with you, that Scottie was obsessed, and he didn’t know until he saw the necklace. But maybe on a subconscious level he suspected Judy was Madeline, and changing her was a way of his detective mind putting the pieces together. The human brain is complex and sometimes especially in emotional distress we can do things for more than one reason and those reasons can even contradict one another. Sometimes we can know something in our heart, but can not face them, until we can’t run from them anymore. When we see things for how they really are at that point, it can still feel as if we just discovered them

[@gaelbourdier2941]

@@walterthefilmhermit7198 I agree with you. However; in my opinion; he suspects her very early.

[@barrycohen311]

@@gaelbourdier2941 Yes, I agree. But he could not say a word or express it, since if he were wrong, he would be the insane one.

[@brianshorrorcorner9890]

I think he was only playing her the last 15 - 20 minutes, once she asked him to put the necklace on her, then he knew

[@gaelbourdier2941]

@@brianshorrorcorner9890 The movie is based on a French book. If you read the book; you can read his thoughts; and he suspects her.

[@Jeff_Lichtman]

I've lived my whole life in the San Francisco Bay Area. One thing I love about this movie is all the location shots of places I know. I visited Fort Point only last month. Kim Novak's acting is really impressive. She played two characters who were really the same character. Madeleine and Judy didn't just look different. They talked differently, walked differently, held their faces differently. . . She made the transition from Judy back to Madeleine subtly and gradually. The effect when Scottie looks down while climbing the bell tower was done with a dolly shot, also known as a trombone shot. Hitchcock did it by simultaneously moving the camera forward while zooming out, which made the foreground look stationary while the background looked like it was receding. There's another famous dolly zoom in Jaws, where Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) is sitting in a beach chair when he sees the shark attack a boy. It's pure Hitchcock to reveal the big plot twist to the audience well before he revealed it to the main character. That was one of his techniques to create suspense. You said that Judy should have just told Scottie that she really was Madeleine. If she had done that, she'd have been confessing to a crime. She was an accessory to the wife's murder, and Scottie was a retired cop. One reason Judy died at the end is that the Hays Code was still in place when the movie was made. It was starting to fray at the edges, but it was still enforced to some degree. The Code required that no one could be seen getting away with a crime. And in the end, having Judy fall out of the same bell tower as Madeleine added a kind of symmetry to the story. Did you notice that Scottie's acrophobia seemed to be gone at the end? In the final shot, he stands at the edge of the bell tower with no signs of fear or vertigo.

[@Divamarja_CA]

I live in the Bay Area too and I was lucky enough to attend a screening of Vertigo at The Castro, with Kim Novak in a rare public appearance. She did a little Q&A afterward. Such a treat!

[@billolsen4360]

Another emotional shock. However, Scottie is now in for endless grillings from the police and that county coroner who didn't like him. Did the nun see enough to get him off the hook?

[@markc.7984]

So glad you liked it. Here's an Easter egg: go back and watch the scene at the mission where Judy (as Madeline) breaks away from him and runs into the church. The moment she says "it wasn't supposed to happen this way," she says "out of character" in Judy's voice!! When you know the twists and watch it again it seems so obvious, but it doesn't phase us first time through. Like any good murder mystery, he's putting spoilers out right in front of us and we don't catch them!

[@wmg93]

This is *such* a good observation. It's as if Hitchcock added this to make your second viewing of the film an even better experience.

[@markc.7984]

Thanks! Every time I see it it's like a cattle prod and a mischievous wink at the same time.@@wmg93

[@billolsen4360]

Good catch!

[@dimitrisnikoloulis4071]

A stunning psychological - mystery thriller noir with jaw dropping plot twists, from the master Hitchcock. What you can say about Vertigo . A masterpiece. And the perfect soundtrack by Bernard Herrmann , makes it magical . Jimmy Stewart as Johnny and Kim Novak as Madeline/Judy so powerful performances .

[@Fanfanbalibar]

The best ever in any of Hitch's movies though there were many great movies !

[@willlockler9433]

Hitchcock, when movies were adult, and not cartoons. Love your reactions.

[@Progger11]

Watch more modern movies. Plenty of films as good as this still being made. You just have to look for them.

[@PersonaIncognito]

@@Progger11 Plenty? You're full of crap.

[@MrGpschmidt]

My fave Hitchcock film. A cinematic masterpiece with truly amazing iconic turns by Stewart & Novak - heartbreakingly tragic. I love how you caught the darkening of the bookstore scene. Fun facts: the zoom dolly shot to depict the POV of Scotty's vertigo was used to equally compelling affect by Spielberg in JAWS when Brody witnesses the raft attack on the beach. Also the hotel clerk is Ellen Corby who co-starred w/Stewart in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (she's in the building and loan wedding sequence who he kisses on the cheek). So glad you finally got to see this and that you enjoyed it too Madison.

[@geraldmcboingboing7401]

The zoom/dolly shot was also used in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

[@anthonyleecollins9319]

@@geraldmcboingboing7401 To great effect. I just watched that (again) recently and half of my brain was going "Hey, that's the Vertigo shot" and the other half was going, "Holy crap!"

[@rcrawford42]

@@geraldmcboingboing7401 The zoom/dolly is also called a "Hitchcock shot" because he used it so effectively.

[@jeffreyjeziorski1480]

Beautiful score!! Lush, vibrant, haunting. It is reminiscent of Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde...a love through death theme.

[@shainewhite2781]

One of the best psychological thriller movies ever made!

[@bobriemersma]

"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951) is a great slice of life from a bygone era with a message still valuable today.

[@sterlinghedgpeth2571]

And also has an amazing score by Bernard Herrmann, who did the score here.

[@terryhughes7349]

This was Hitchcock's most personal film. All about obsession.

[@lynnturman8157]

Scottie didn't know Judy & Madeline were the same woman. All he knew was that Judy reminded him of Madeline & he was so obsessed that he wanted to remake Judy in her image. Which he finally achieved when she walked out of the bathroom with her hair pinned up just like Madeline. It was only when he saw her necklace in the mirror that he realized that Judy was in fact Madeline & that he had been played. He wasn't too forgiving of her, which ended up causing her to die for real at the end. As a writer who is a student of storytelling, you need to watch it again. There are so many levels to this movie & it rewards multiple viewings.

[@deanm375]

Johnny didn't realize Judy WAS Madeline UNTIL he saw the necklace. That's when all the pieces of the puzzle snapped in place for him. Jimmy Stewart and kim Novak would play in a romantic comedy about a year later called "Bell, Book, and Candle". Worth a look.

[@MrRondonmon]

Judy was in on a murder, even in the late 50s, if you murdered someone you had to get caught or pay the ultimate price. Scottie could never just allow her to get away with it, thus this finish was perfect, it leaves us wondering if Scottie would have let het get away because he was so infatuated with her.

[@jamesalexander5623]

I was going to mention that. Yes , she either had to die or get turned in!

[@tanisdevelopment]

Rare for a film of the period: we didn't see justice served for Gavin Elster! We just have to hope he's in the reach of the law.

[@jsharp3165]

The Hays Code was unraveling by this point. So it was easier to get away with it.

[@tanisdevelopment]

@@jsharp3165 - Which is how James Stewart was able to get away with "Anatomy of a Murder" the following year. That script would have been untouchable a couple of years earlier. (I believe his own father took out ads asking people to not go see it!)

[@paulbrawley2595]

Regarding the law, with Judy's death, how could Scottie pin anything on Elster? Judy's necklace matched the one in an old painting, Elster could deny any knowledge of it. Scottie would have quite some explaining to do as to why he and Judy were up in that tower in the middle of the night!

[@michaelm6948]

Loved your reaction! By the end I was fearful the ghost of Carlotta was twisting her way into your psyche!🫣 I like the ending. Jimmy Stewart’s character comes all the way back to his vocation as a detective. The woman, as a participant in murder, gets her own falling from the tower. Some unknown power has worked through the nun to trigger the guilt, memory , terror or even the presence of Carlotta to cause the over reaction that leads to the deadly fall.

[@johnmoore2910]

I saw this in the theater when it was released and I was 11 or 12 years old. And when it was over, my mind was blown, and I literally thought to myself, “they can end movies like this?”. I love it.

[@stephenriggs8177]

I saw it as a midnight movie when I was in college. The late hour just added to the surrealism of the entire experience.

[@michaelt6218]

Peak cinema, yes! Many critics, and many film fanatics, consider Vertigo to be the greatest movie ever made. It's easily in my top 5, perhaps #1 depending on the mood I'm in. What's so wonderful about this Hitchcock masterpiece is that you can watch it again and again and again, learning more with every viewing, growing in appreciation each time. I guarantee you will love it even more, Madison, when you've seen it numerous times, as I have.

[@dggydddy59]

Interesting. I've never seen it referred to as the greatest movie ever made or anything like that. I've heard it referred to as perhaps the best movie Hitchcock ever made, but that's all. Or maybe that's what you meant, I don't know. It is a great movie though, absolutely.

[@fergalhughes165]

​@@dggydddy59 It topped the Sight&Sound critics' poll in 2012.

[@paulhuggett7503]

I'm fortunate to own not only James Stewart but Kim Novak's autographs! Definitely 2 of my favourites as both were such amazing actors and lovely amazing people in real life!

[@josephmayo3253]

To catch up on your Hitchcock, Notorious, Strangers on a Train, To Catch a Thief, The Lady Vanishes, and The Trouble with Harry.

[@melanie62954]

Notorious! Sadly, KZbinrs generally react to Hitchcock's color movies from the '50s, but not to his earlier films. Notorious is one of his best.

[@frankethomas1248]

Rebecca

[@josephmayo3253]

@@frankethomas1248 Of the movies Hitchcock made after moving to Hollywood, that is in my bottom 3 or 4. I'd rank it above Topaz and Torn Curtain. Maybe even with I Confess. I put it below Marnie, Rope, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Sometimes when I'm doing a Hitchcock binge, I'll skip all of those.

[@melanie62954]

@@frankethomas1248 Rebecca may be my personal favorite Hitchcock film. I don't know why a lot of people don't seem to like it!

[@frankethomas1248]

@@melanie62954 In my opinion, Rebecca is THE quintessential *_psychological_* thriller. There is hardly any (barring the fire at the end) thrilling activity of any kind. All the thrills are internal, and the anxieties pluck and play on our nerves until screaming madness would be a relief from the tension. From the classic first line until the blazing finale, it is a masterpiece of subtlety, highlighting all the deep, elusive, intricate, complex terrors inherent in *_any_* romantic relationship, where each person comes saddled with his/her own baggage, their own “ghosts” of regret, guilt, obsession, revulsion, etc.

[@deanm375]

Also Midge was played Barbara Bel Geddes. She would later play Miss Ellie Ewing on the 80's Melo-drama Dallas.

[@dereknolin5986]

My father said that when this movie came out, he remembered people at parties argued over whether Judy fell to her death or was pushed. To me I thought it was clear she fell. I thought the way the nun was lit at first, she seemed almost like an apparition. I thought it was totally plausible that Judy was already terrified of Johnny, and coursing with adrenaline, and so when this figure emerged from the darkness she instinctually recoiled in fear and just took a step too far backwards.

[@no288]

I agree with you. Seeing the dark figure that suddenly appeared Judy got scared, and accidental fall as she was moving away from Scottie. Sad ending

[@sra4722]

Perhaps she was envisioning Carlotta’s ghost, or…Mrs. Elster’s, who happened to be the REAL Madeleine, and the murder victim. Or perhaps Judy’s alter ego - “Madeleine” - stealing Judy’s sense of self.

[@waldorfstatler3129]

Madison, that was one of the perfect reactions to one of the greatest movies of all time.

[@dereknolin5986]

Kim Novak is so amazing in this movie. Even when she's fully dressed up as Madeline, you can tell that her whole body language is still Judy.

[@no288]

superb acting indeed. I'm glad they didn't go with their first choice, Vera Miles

[@MrGadfly772]

The nun at the end looked like the figure of death which scared Judy. Judy was already terrified and the silhouette just made her back up too far in horror. The movie is about obsession and fate and the complicated motives of desperate people. The ringing of the bell is the Nun's alerting the convent, but she's also symbolic as a death knell. There's a lot of meaning packed into an intensely short period of time. You had a great reaction, once again. Thank you so much for letting me experience these movies again through your eyes. It kind of let's me live them again anew. Whoops I'm sounding like Johnny now.

[@peterbengtson7406]

Madison, I loved watching this. 'Vertigo' is my favorite movie, and I know well its profound emotional impact. Seeing you grapple with that impact for the first time was very moving. I've watched it innumerable times and read many analyses-there's no end to the material available on why 'Vertigo' is so special. The murder plot is secondary, a McGuffin. The real subjects are obsession, longing, and suffering. To me, the key is that Scottie is obsessed with a woman who never existed, an illusion crafted for deceptive purposes. For a 1958 audience to see America's Everyman, Jimmy Stewart, slowly lose his mind chasing this illusion and becoming a monster must have been extremely unsettling. But the main protagonist isn't Scottie, it's Judy. The film shifts to her perspective when Scottie leaves her hotel room-the camera focuses on the back of her head-and her emotional journey becomes ours. The transformation process is like a slow rape, and the most painful moment is when she fully embodies the Madeline persona. It becomes tragically obvious that she isn't loved for who she is and that their relationship is doomed. This romantic climax doesn't include Judy; it's purely one-sided. Then Scottie sees the necklace. That's when the penny drops for him, not earlier, as Hitchcock would have given clues if Scottie suspected anything before. Scottie transitions from obsession to clarity in a split second. And we know things won't end well. And then there's the music. Hermann was never better; his music is essential in creating the mysterious atmosphere of otherworldliness and intense longing that pervades much of the film. As a musician, I feel the music is almost operatic, expressing what words cannot. Sometimes this is anticipatory: Hermann introduces the Spanish habanera rhythm long before we hear or see anything about Carlotta Valdes. The Wagnerian heights he reaches in the Scene d'Amour are astounding. Vertigo is truly a masterpiece in all respects.

[@MrKINSM]

She can't tell him, she'd go to prison.

[@TimothySmiths]

Rear Window then this were the first two Hitchcock films i ever watched, I was about 13, home sick from school for a few days and they played Rear Window on Tv and then Vertigo the next day and i watched both ,I believe it was the first time they had been shown on Tv at that point due to rights issues or something. I was instantly hooked, it took me a number of years later before i really went down the rabbit hole of his films but these were the start. I have seen both of them in the theater after being remastered . Seeing Vertigo in the theater was part of one of my favorite days ever, Saw this in the theater, went to a showing of Rene Magritte's paintings and went to a very interesting Halloween party that evening..great day all around.

[@billolsen4360]

Loved it when I was home sick from school but not too sick to catch a great movie in TV. That's how I first saw "Double Indemnity."

[@danielparsons2859]

Great reaction. The director, actors, and all the other elements are as perfect as you can get. A real masterpiece.

[@cebridges]

The score to this film is my all-time favorite. It makes excellent writing music, too.

[@Ceractucus]

Great reaction as always Madison. The Hayes code which was active and in effect from 1934 to 1968 was a set of rules for movies to keep them more moral. One of the rules was that anyone who committed a crime had to either get caught or die before the movie was over.

[@cpete2976]

I've been a Hitchcock fan since I was a teen in the 70s; I saw and rewatched many of his movies. When I finally saw Vertigo, I appreciated it and recognized that it was a cinematic masterpiece but it didn't fully impact me emotionally. Saw it multiple times. AND THEN.. in 2014, i saw it on the big screen and was blown away. When Judy returns from the beauty shop then goes into the bathroom to put her hair up - when she walks back into the bedroom thru the neon sign green mist and they hug and kiss - WOW!!! I understood it before but now I got it emotionally. I GOT IT! He is embracing his beloved Madeline (and maybe with some feeling for Judy) while she is embracing Johnny with love and with such a deep desire that he loves her and not Madeline - so sad. The swirling camera, the lush music and the deep longing and emotions of both characters - OH MY. I think it is one of the most erotic scenes in all of cinema because of the depth of emotion. (Even though they remain upright and fully clothed!) I highly recommend seeing this film in a movie theater at a revival. Thanks for a great reaction to a truly great movie.

[@ninjetti9898]

Your expression when she screamed nd fell at the end.......greatest reaction I have ever seen

[@Laserfrankie]

When you watch it again, pay attention to the use of colors. Red is symbolic for the world of the living, green is symbolic for the world of the dead. The tapestry in the restaurant is red, her car is green, and so on. In the end, the green neon lights shine on Judy and cover her in a ghostly green, like she's back from the dead. Also, when he follows her in his car, the roads are exactly as they are and it's all in realtime. As a matter of fact, you can do the same drive even today on the same streets in the same time.

[@Fanfanbalibar]

YES!

[@antrimlariot2386]

Tee priceless look on your face at the end gave me chills. Electric!

[@viewergreg]

It just occurred to me that the lady at the desk at 10:52 is played by Ellen Corby. In "It's a Wonderful Life" she's the lady that Jimmy Stewart kisses when she says "Can I have $17.50?" during the bank run scene.

[@imnotabotrlyimnot]

She was also grandma Walton of "The Waltons" tv series.

[@tonyherrera2570]

Hitchcock was truly the master of suspense and he had “a thing” for blondes. From Grace Kelly (Rear Window) to Kim Novak (Vertigo) to Janet Leigh (Psycho)to Tipi Hedron ( The Birds)… Btw, if you’re enjoying Jimmy Stewart, you should checkout his Oscar winning performance in The Philadelphia Story. The movie also stars Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant…👍🏼👍🏼

[@joebloggs396]

Or the earlier ones like The 39 Steps which get ignored on KZbin.

[@pasifred8589]

There were only a few movies me and my sister agreed to watch together and this was one of them.

[@diannerichardpratt3144]

Early in the movie Madge tells Scotty that she asked a doctor about vertigo and that the only cure was another tramatic event. So Scotty goes out to look down on the dead Judy and was apparently cured of his verigo.

[@bottlerocket3218]

Sorta ironic that Jimmy Stewart plays a man who's afraid of heights in this film, cus in real life he was an armed forces pilot!

[@Fanfanbalibar]

As you say, he « plays ». Etc….

[@thepodbaydoorshal]

The opening of this film definitely inspired the opening rooftop scene in The Matrix. I didn't hear you mention Psycho. I hope that's next on your list. Avoid any kind of details on it whatsoever as they will be spoilers no matter how minor.

[@MFuria-os7ln]

If you like Jimmy Stewart please consider watching The shop around the corner. A beautiful movie!!!

[@gaelbourdier2941]

A few people think that at the beginning of the movie; he falls from the roof and he dreams all that during his fall. There is another theory : In the second part of the movie; Johnny stays in the asylum and he dreams her meeting with Judy. In fact; he becomes mad. As far as the final scene is concerned; it's probably a suicide because Judy understands he will never love her for who she really is. If you listen carefully; he calls her "Madeleine" and no "Judy". She doesn't have a personnality anymore. Her character is a dead person; so she must die.

[@MrMousley]

Three absolutely brilliant plot twists in this film 31:00 the moment when you realise that Madeleine/Judy are the same person 36:55 the moment when he realises that Madeleine/Judy are the same person 40:00 when Judy dies in exactly the same way as Madeleine did

[@briankearns976]

Thanks!

[@georgecoventry8441]

I saw this one at the drive-in movie with my parents in maybe 1959. A great movie! I remember it well.

[@skylinerunner1695]

Always a good day when this host settles in with a Hitchcock film. I'm only sorry this talented painter and artist didn't have more to say about the bold and highly stylised use of colour throughout the movie, but it's fair enough that she was so blown away by the twists and machinations of the plot that the other elements took a back seat discussion-wise. I'm glad and relieved that Vertigo finally made it to this awesome reactor.

[@billolsen4360]

James Stewart is a great actor to follow! Try "Anatomy Of A Murder." It's ironic that Stewart is afraid of heights in this film since he was a US Army Air Corps bomber pilot in WWII based in England. 35:57 She can't tell him. He's a cop. He'll know he's been played to facilitate a murder that looked like suicide. She'll get tried for being an accessory.

[@artoniinisto9022]

So many interesting aspects to this one. My countryman, the late Peter von Bagh (who, with Andre Bazin, knew just about every film ever made - well, they did head the Film Archives personally in France and Finland) saw this multiple times and knew it by heart. 5 of Hitchcock's Lost Films (Vertigo among them) were banned for 30 years from theatres until 1984 (when I saw them in cinemas). So von Bagh wrote his university thesis on 'Vertigo', and met Sir Alfred personally for an interview. It was one of the first papers on one film alone, and Hitchcock was impressed (just like he enjoyed the young French film-makers' love of his films, like the Francois Truffaut interview shows). He even planned to direct his last film, an agent story in Finland, drawings still exist of the idea. Too many anecdotes to tell about Vertigo, the books and documents and magazine articles are available for everyone. However, the dissertation was a scandal in the 70s, and the Academia blocked von Bagh's work (film study was not accepted as such, and doing it on just one film was totally unacceptable). So one of the most knowledgeable film buff's truly carefully researched and analyzed work was dismissed as too creative and too detailed for just one film. Like having the film company throwing out Vertigo for being too imaginative, too psychologically valid and perceptive.

[@TheBS1000]

For years, Rear Window was my favorite Hitchcock film, but the more I watch Vertigo the more it becomes my favorite. Bernard Herman's music in that dream sequence infects me everytime I hear and I think of that sequence for days. Then there's Jimmy's performance and that ascent up the stairs. So damn good.

[@Keyboardje]

Well, at least in the end he did get over his vertigo, standing there on the ledge of the tower! :D

[@jeffridgeway7474]

This movie is a real poem to San Francisco in its golden years. You can still go to most of the places in this film and they still largely look the same.

[@Fanfanbalibar]

Yes, I did !

[@Fanfanbalibar]

Between 1996 and 2002 i used to spend 2 weeks in the Bay Area and up to Oregon ! If not for the Transamerica Pyramid, the hills, Union square, the Presidio, the Bridge, etc, all that was like in the 50's....... I hiked everywhehre with my camcorder (at that time) , I made a movie using my Apple computer with all these memories ! (down to Pebble Beach, Montereyt, Carmel ( I didn't meet Clint Eastwood) and by the way in1996, Ernie's was still there for the last time !

[@steelers6titles]

Stewart starred several times in Hitchcock's films, beginning with the experimental "Rope" (1948), shot in one continuous sequence.

[@joebloggs396]

Great film, based on the British play by Patrick Hamilton. The actor who plays Brandon is great.

[@travistaylor5000]

​@@joebloggs396 John Dall played Brandon, who also starred in a 1949 noir film, Gun Crazy.

[@Fanfanbalibar]

4 to be accurate, and Cary Grant 4 also (in Hitchcock's moviesà !

[@barrycohen311]

Those fashions they wore back in the day were sick. Not like the garbage people wear today. Great film.

[@TomReda-m7w]

Just FYI... The same year as Vertigo, Stewart and Kim Novak starred together in the delightful romantic comedy Bell Book and Candle based on a Broadway play. Kim plays a witch. Also Stewart started with Doris Day in Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much. It's terrific too!!

[@meganlutz7150]

Great reaction, Madison ! I can tell you truly understand and appreciate the classics. One film I think you should check out is Mildred Pierce. I haven’t seen it reacted to by anyone but it is well worth watching. Same director as Casablanca :)

[@martinbynion1589]

"The ending of the movie, I get it ...BUT I DON'T!!!" Perfect reaction! And you don't hold back one iota of your feelings.......UTube needs MORE MKT movie reactions!

[@jtt6650]

Judy thought the nun was the ghost of Elster’s wife and is totally terrified, which is ironic after the fake Carlotta story.

[@spankyharland9845]

when the Hitchcock Five were released back in 1983 I watch everyone of them and fell in love with Vertigo so much that I watched it about three more times at the theatre. I was able to get the VHS, then the first generation DvD- then those two film restorer guys released the reimaged cut and I got that in my collection- Vertigo is such a classic movie. I also was living in SF and went to all the film sights including the Mission !

[@Fanfanbalibar]

Me too !

[@jangle4246]

With regard to older movies, I'd like to see your reaction to Heat Lightning (1934), about an eventful day in the lives of two sisters who operate an auto camp and cafe, which is a sort of oasis for travelers in the desert.

[@timcrandall9046]

Enjoyed your reaction. You commented that you had never seen Jimmy Stewart play this type of character. To see another side of JS I suggest you react to Flight of the Phoenix (1965). It is an action drama with a talented supporting cast. You will also probably fall in love with the song Senza Fine as I did as a result of watching this movie.

[@paintedjaguar]

"Flight of the Phoenix" is a favorite of mine as well, with Stewart playing another edgier than his stereotype character. I wouldn't bother with the 2004 remake, it isn't nearly as good and there's really no reason for it to exist.

[@antrimlariot2386]

@@paintedjaguar Stewart was a colonel and flew planes in WW2

[@paintedjaguar]

@@antrimlariot2386 Yes.

[@mikkomfi8643]

My favorite Hitchcock movies: 1) Marnie Spellbound 3) Family Plot 4) Birds

[@Fanfanbalibar]

THERE IS A FRENCH SAYING : "ONE NEVER DISCUSSES TASTES AND COLORS" !

[@TheTcwalton]

Wonderful reaction, Madison! In theaters, folks scream when the nun's silhouette pops up. So happy you're watching the classics! Other Hitchcock recommendations: Notorious Shadow of a Doubt To Catch a Thief The Birds

[@TheTcwalton]

Oh, how could I forget Psycho?!

[@joebloggs396]

I agree on Shadow of a Doubt and Psycho.

[@travistaylor5000]

​​@@TheTcwalton Yeah, how could you have forgotten Psycho? 😆 All 5 of your Hitchcock picks are wonderful recommendations.

[@KneeAches]

As others have said: no, he didn’t know till he saw the necklace. He was a bit crazy till he solved the mystery.

[@FrancisXLord]

'We were forbidden to play here. Sister Theresa would scold us.' This line of dialogue perhaps explains the end. Judy reacts to the nun as Carlotta would have, stepping back in fear, and to her demise. Judy was either confused by the many roles she had been playing, thus reacting as Carlotta. Or, and perhaps more fun to consider, in that moment she was possessed by Carlotta - the only person, out of the three women, with a reason to fear nuns. That's the theory I postulated in an essay in college (and I got an A for that essay). This film was hated when it came out, largely for casting Jimmy Stewart so against type, but also I think because it was way ahead of its time. To Hitchcock it was an embarrassment, one of his few flops. Only when it was discovered by later generations has it been hailed as one of his greatest works. I consider it his greatest personally. Thank you for reacting to it.

[@RonaldCanfield-m2r]

Great reaction! My take at the end was that perhaps Judy thought it was the ghost of Madeleine whom had appeared? By the way, another great Hitchcock film that few (if any) have reacted to is "Dial M For Murder" starring Grace Kelly, Ray Milland, and Bob Cummings. Highly recommended!

[@Fanfanbalibar]

YES, BUT IT'S JUST A THRILLER, NOT AN ALMOST SUPERNATURAL MOVIE!

[@yvonneplant9434]

One problem... some of these need to be seen the way they were meant to be seen: on a large screen in a theater... not on a TV.

[@sgtbooks]

One of the great movies. At the time it was made, all of the places Hitchcock uses are really there with the same names. Podesta Baldocchi was a wonderful flower shop on Sutter I think and she parked in the alley because then and now there would be no available street parking. The McKittrick Hotel was on Gough St. The Palace of the Legion of Honor art museum looks much the same indoors. Fort Point looks exactly the same. Argosy Books was around until a few years ago. Ernie's with those red flocked walls was one of the best restaurants in town near the Financial District. The Mission Dolores cemetery still looks the same. His apartment building is still there. The big change is that Hitchcock had to build the bell tower at Mission San Juan Bautista. It's gone now.

[@paintedjaguar]

The bell tower was never there, and they didn't build one. The interior stairway was a miniature set and the exterior was matte paintings. State of the art FX in the pre-CGI days.

[@sgtbooks]

@@paintedjaguar You're of course right. I'd like to plead not-especially-premature-senility. Mission San Juan Bautista was one of my Dad's favorite places and we went there frequently right around the time Hitchcock must have been filming and there was definitely never any tower like the one in Vertigo.

[@paintedjaguar]

@@sgtbooks Ideally, the audience never notices the FX sleight of hand. Ever seen the shot in "Black Narcissus" where the view is looking down the cliff from over the bell tower? Amazing work.

[@joebloggs396]

@@paintedjaguar I read that it was there when they were scouting for locations, but was knocked down by the time of filming.

[@paintedjaguar]

@@joebloggs396 That doesn't seem likely, but who knows? I do know that people say all kinds of things on the internet.

[@andrewmadeloni7173]

B & W Classics: "Laura", "To Kill a Mockingbird", "The Third Man", "The Hustler", "The Thin Man", and "My Man Godfrey". To name just a few....😌

[@johngriffiths9401]

I always thought, Judy imagined the nun was the ghost of Carlotta

[@samson9535]

Hitchcock was not impressed, initially, by Kim Novak's acting ability. I think he was disappointed by Vera Miles, his initial pick for the female lead, not being able to do the role by becoming pregnant during the initial production. Later, Hitchcock revised his opinion of Kim Novak's performance in the movie.

[@MLJ7956]

Hitchcock was quite upset with Vera Miles for a few years for turning down the role because of her pregnancy but later on when Hitch & wife were at a restaurant they ran into Vera and her husband there and they apparently patched things up because he did end up casting her in an episode of his TV show and as the sister, Lila, in Psycho.

[@michaelm6948]

Vera Miles, terrific actor, and I understand she's a very nice woman. She's 93.

[@michaelg2529]

Nope, you underestimate yourself. You "got it'" alright. Maybe there were some details which were cofusing but you understood the important things. This is a movie for grown-ups, and for a thinking audience. This is a dark story of people and their weaknesses, and their sometimes self-destructive behaviors. It is a story about crime and wickedness, and punishment and healing. The KZbin version left off the most distirbing, heartbreaking line in the movie, when Judy, receating the Madeline persona, says "If I do what you tell me, will you love me?" Great reaction video. Thank you. (edited, per usual, to correct my poor spelling.)

[@Progger11]

The nun had Madeline's voice, and the habit in the shadows kind of resembled the dinner dress with the square open neck. Basically, Judy was haunted by the ghost of the woman she killed, and seeing that nun in the shadows in that tense moment frightened her.

[@mikeduplessis8069]

I don't think he was playing her, I think he was really crazy creepy obsessed. It wasn't til he saw the necklace that he snapped out of it. About falling backwards. There's a famous Shakespeare stage direction 'Exit, pursued by a bear'. Its come to symbolize a plot point where the (usually) bad guy is offed in a way that the hero remains blameless.

[@michaelt6218]

Also she was in heels, not to mention emotionally unstable. Her stumbling and falling seems fully believable to me.

[@wing_teletran1]

Shadow of a Doubt is also a great film. I heard that film was Hitchcock's favorite. Great reaction!

[@barrycohen311]

I watched like six YT reactions to this. (I had seen the movie 6-7 times in the past) Out of all the reactions, you played the best clips from the film IMO.

[@hilarywilliams1909]

For more Hitchcock, I suggest Spellbound (similar imagery to this) or The Trouble With Harry (his funniest film). Also, Barbara Bel Gedde, who played Midge, was the narrator and daughter in I Remember Mama, which would make a great viewing for Mother's Day.

[@yvonneplant9434]

It's great that younger people are seeing these movies!!! Please continue. 😊

[@papa2bdj]

You are quickly becoming a Hitchcock fan. I don't know if anyone else commented that during the first few minutes, Hitchcock did a cameo in the background.

[@pormantu]

A possible triple bill: The Lady Eve, That Obscure Object of Desire and Vertigo!

[@samson9535]

This was SF when it was a beautiful city.

[@jameshose5043]

wonderful watching your reaction what a movie to react to is right the ultimate movie to react to, and THE ultimate movie imo i’ve been watching it for decades i just saw your thoughtful treatment of GWTW & you’re doing a great job

[@tommythompson9565]

Credit to you for reacting to classic movies. Don't know if done on purpose, but it is a nice touch of your attire and the room decor having a 40's look. There are so many good "old" movies. I would make a list, but that would be futile. You will receive many recommendations in the comments, I am sure. The cable TV channel, TCM [ Turner Classic Movies ], is a showcase for older movies, as the name reveals. This channel also has documentary features, long and short ones, that are fascinating to those who like the classics. Hitchcock has a good number of great films. Dial M For Murder is my favorite. Although shot almost entirely in one room of an apartment, the movie is very suspenseful. Can you figure out the murderer's single error before the reveal? Vertigo is also good. Great plot with an unforeseen twist or two. Jimmy Stewart is magnificent in it. But he is in every picture he is cast in. As Rear Window and It's A Wonderful Life attest to. Your channel is a pleasure. Thanks mostly to the charming host. Be sure to maintain your SCUBA gear for your future classic movies diving adventure.

[@torbjornkvist]

Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, his most personal film. Scottie's long-term friend Midge broke up their engagement years before because of his obsessive, possessive behavior. Vertigo is a film about Hitchcock's own demons. His love for his lifelong wife, Alma Reville, a masterful film artist in her own right that was left in his shadow, and all those statuesque blond actresses he was playing with. This film also marks the break between Hitchcock and his most favorite actress, Vera Miles. He wanted to make her into a superstar but when planning Vertigo, Miles became pregnant and she choose family life before the (possessive) Hitchcock. He never forgave her. She was contracted with Hitchcock for one more film, hence Psycho, where she only had a supportive role. His "revenge". She didn't care. Hitchcock was aware of the monster inside him - Vertigo.

[@petequesada2936]

I've heard other reactors say similar things about movies made decades ago. They don't hold your hand and lay everything out for you. Your brain works and if we're lucky, as with Hitchcock, they still make us wonder.

[@oldbenexplains5287]

This is the best reaction I've ever seen to Vertigo. My suggestion: Hitchcock's Spellbound from 1945, starring Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck.

[@TheBS1000]

I love watching classic film actors who were typically good guys get a bit nutty in a role. When this movie came out, Jimmy Stewart was blamed for its failures, but I love him in this. His ascent up the staircase at the end is delicious to watch. Similarly, I love watching Gregory Peck in Moby Dick. When it came out, people said Peck was a terrible choice for Captain Ahab, but I love watching him play a character whose obsession makes him increasingly unhinged.

[@jimearnest4342]

Barbara bel Geddes (secretary) is in a great movie called "I remember mama" as a young girl who dreams of becoming an author,it's a great movie with tons of heart...you should put it on your list of important movies to watch

[@Catbytes]

Hitchcock - Suspicion, Spellbound, Notorious, Rebecca + all the rest of them!

[@vangannaway1015]

Score ... Bernard Hermann. Titles ... Saul Bass. Goodfellas.

[@andrewmadeloni7173]

That Bernard Herrmann Score!!!

[@craigtalbott731]

10:39 "Mrs. Davis?" "Could I have seventeen-fifty?" "Bless your heart!"

[@tracydale154]

Amazing reaction. I do think the obsession from Johnny in the second half was real up till the point where he saw the necklace. That’s when he realized. I think this was probably a very personal movie for Hitchcock. I think it’s in some ways mirroring the weird sometimes dysfunctional relationship he had with his lead actresses. The need to change and form them into his vision, them loosing themselves trying to please him and gain his approval. Not 100 percent but I do think he’s tapping into some of those themes.

[@JC-ke7mj]

That was great! Thank you!

[@jeffdetmer4681]

The brilliance of Hitchcock. Did you spot him in it? Watch the people in the crowds and the street. The nun was simply accepting the girls death as Gods will. She immediately blessed herself and prayed. Jimmy Stewart made several more good westerns too. Winchester 76, Broken Arrow and Bend of the River for example. He also played a role in John Wayne's film The Shootist. Greaat reaction as always Madison.

[@Fanfanbalibar]

STEWART IN PREMINGER'S ANATOMY OF A MURDER, 1959, SHOULD HAVE HAD AN OSCAR (AND PREMINGER TOO). Don't tell me about westerns, even with Jimmy! I hate that genre ! An exception for Once upon a time in the West (with Fonda the very bad guy )