``Twelve Monkeys'' Genes of Hitchcock's ``Vertigo'' embedded in Gilliam's time travel

What “Vertigo” and “Twelve Monkeys” have in common

"It was as if the ghost of Hitchcock was making the remake. Everything resembled his films. For example, the airport scene was somehow reminiscent of North by Northwest . I think those masterpieces are unconsciously etched in our minds and influence our filmmaking without us realizing it." (*4)

When you compare the two films, you will notice that the character played by Kim Novak in "Vertigo" has the same name as Madeline Stowe, the lead actress in "Twelve Monkeys." And the character played by Bruce Willis in "Twelve Monkeys" has the same name as James Stewart, the lead actor in "Vertigo." If you don't take note of the differences, you will be shocked to see how many overlaps there are that could cause you to feel truly Vertigo.

Furthermore, although I won't go into detail, I can't help but feel that there is an inseparable commonality between "Vertigo" and "Twelve Monkeys" in the structure, which becomes increasingly misleading from the beginning.

“Twelve Monkeys” © Photofest / Getty Images

Thus, although this film features an extremely complex and bizarre time machine, at its core the story is drawn towards a fate that is contained at a genetic level.

Of course, it is possible to enjoy this strange story without knowing anything about it, but if you have cinematic memories of "La Jetée" and "Vertigo," your impression will change drastically. The viewer will unconsciously feel these "cinematic memories that they've seen somewhere before" as they continue this journey through time and space, just as they feel the "image of the 'certain woman' to whom the boy is held captive." This may be why "Twelve Monkeys" gives one a somewhat "euphoric, Vertigo" feeling.

*4 Blu-ray "Twelve Monkeys" (Distributor: Shochiku) Commentary

(References) "Terry Gilliam video complete collection " by Bob McCabe, translated by Atsuko Kawaguchi, Kawade Shobo Shinsha (1999/10)

Text: USHIZU ATSUNOBU

Born in Nagasaki in 1977. When he was 3 years old, he saw ``Superman II'' with his father and became fascinated with movies. After The Graduate from Meiji University, he worked for a movie broadcasting channel and then became a movie writer. Currently, in addition to writing for Eiga.com, EYESCREAM, Real Sound Movie Club, etc., he also contributes to media press and theater programs.

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