Movie No. 70 (2018): VERTIGO

Vertigo (1958)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak

Sight & Sound, a British Magazine, has been polling critics and movie directors once every decade since 1952 to determine the greatest films ever made. The last poll was in 2012, where 846 critics and 358 directors from around the world were polled. The result put Vertigo on the top spot, unseating Citizen Kane, which had been number 1 for five decades (1962 - 2002). It's for a lot of reasons Vertigo is number 1.

In my opinion, Vertigo is indeed one of the greatest films ever made. It may not be my top choice but it'll certainly be on my list. Maybe a place on my top 10. It is also definitely on my list of favorite Alfred Hitchcock's movies, along with North By Northwest, Rear Window, Psycho, Notorious, Strangers On A Train, The Lady Vanishes, and Rebecca. Vertigo is an outstanding achievement in practically all aspects of a movie. Its most important strength, of course, lies on the story and screenplay. Masterful editing enhances the story telling process. Cinematography effectively complements art direction and costume design that are very representative of the era where the story unfolds. And then the use of musical score, which effectively adds to the mystery embedded in the narrative. This one example of Hitchcock's genius.

This is my third viewing of the movie. I will watch it again in the future.

Rating: 4.0/4.0

Date seen: October 27, 2018