Monday, November 19, 2007
7:00 PM @ Cinema Paradiso
Admission is $5
Discussion to follow
Click here for synopsis and trailer.
Alfred Hitchcock | USA | 1958 | 129 min | PG
Starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, and Tom Helmore
Alfred Hitchcock’s psychological thriller – far and away one of his darkest and most compelling films – tells the story of police detective Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart), who has a crippling fear of heights. When an old friend asks him to tail his wife (Kim Novak), Scottie is drawn into a vortex of deceit, murder and obsession.
Awards and Accolades:
Nominated for Directors Guild and two Academy Awards including Best Art Direction.
In 2007, the American Film Institute ranked it #9 on its “100 Greatest Movies” list. The film has been deemed “culturally significant” by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry. In 2002, Vertigo was chosen the second greatest film of all time (behind Citizen Kane) by the Sight and Sound critics’ poll. In 2005, Vertigo came in second (to Goodfellas) in British magazine Total Film’s book, 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.
Reviews:
“It is about how Hitchcock used, feared and tried to control women.”
• Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
“Once this movie is under way, it’s off into very deep waters… Films like “Vertigo” are the reason that lots of people get consumed with the movies.”
Related:
Bright Lights Film Journal: Last Laugh: Was Hitchcock’s Masterpiece a Private Joke?
New York Times: Master of Suspense: A Self-Analysis
Images: Hitchcock’s Use of Profiles in Vertigo
Roger Ebert: Interview with Alfred Hitchcock
Video: Excerpt on Vertigo composer Bernard Herrmann
Video: Hitchcock interview excerpts
