How was the legendary shot that symbolizes the title of Hitchcock's masterpiece ``Vertigo'' taken?

"Vertigo" synopsis

Scotty (James Stewart) quits the police force after witnessing a colleague fall to his death, suffering from an extreme fear of heights. At the request of an old friend, he takes on the role of keeping an eye on Madeline's wife Madeline (Kim Novak), but before he knows it, he begins to fall in love with her as she repeatedly acts strangely, as if being manipulated by her great-grandmother, who committed suicide. However, Madeline commits suicide by impulsively throwing herself from the church bell tower. Scotty wanders the city in despair and meets Judy (Kim Novak), a dancer who is a copy of Madeline.

Index

• Was it not well received when it was released in theaters?
• Surprise “shift” that is different from the original
• How to express Vertigo visually? The secret behind the development of a revolutionary shot

Was it not well received when it was released in theaters?

Hitchcock's masterpiece ``Vertigo'' (1958) has left a deep mark on film history, but it did not receive much box office or critical acclaim at the time of its release. If you look at the results of that year's Academy Awards, you'll only be nominated for Best Art and Best Sound Recording. This is a huge difference from the current treatment, which is almost always selected as one of the top 100 movies in history.

It is true that compared to Hitchcock's previous works, this film lacks a sense of speed and tension, and instead has a mysterious, daydream-like beauty that hangs over it like a mist. Coupled with Bernard Herrmann's fantastical accompaniment, it seems like if you leave your consciousness in this state, you might end up traveling to another world without realizing it. In that sense, it may be said to be a film that carries more psychological danger than any other Hitchcock film.

"Vertigo" preview

Hitchcock originally intended to cast Vera Miles, who also appeared in The Wrong Man (1956) and Psycho (1960), as the film's heroine. However, the timing of production was delayed due to factors such as Hitchcock undergoing gallbladder surgery, and during that time, Miles quit the role due to her pregnancy. Kim Novak was cast in her place.

There are also rumors that Hitchcock was cold towards Novak. To begin with, Hitchcock didn't like discussions or trouble on set, and was the type of person who wanted to keep his own pace as much as possible and shoot exactly according to the storyboard. Novak, on the other hand, often brought a variety of questions and ideas to the field, and it is true that there was some rift between the two regarding methodology.

"Vertigo" (C) 1958 Alfred Hitchcock Productions, Inc. and Paramount Pictures Corporation. Renewed 1986 Universal Studios for Taylor and Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell as Co-Trustees. All Rights Reserved.

However, in the end, Novak shrugged off the pressure and successfully expressed the kind of ``dangerous elegance'' that is the key to her work. It is no exaggeration to say that her presence was even greater than that of James Stewart, who played the lead role.

Surprise “shift” that is different from the original