Vertigo = Judy's Transformation

Question 1

Cinematography =

Answer 1

• POV shot as Madeline emerges from the bathroom
• Full body shot of Judge which allows us to objectify her in the nostalgia
• It is a long take, the audience look at her voyeuristically and appreciates her beauty
• A close up arch shot of them kissing
• The arc shot reinforces the idea of the spiral and descent into obsession which caused his reality to almost collapse. Spiral begins

Question 2

Mise en Scene =

Answer 2

• The intense green lighting from the neon sign becomes symbolic of Scottie’s obsession and her rebirth
• The intesity of the green light makes her appear blurred and ethereal as if she is not a part of this world
• The green light has consumed her entire body which indicates the obsession has consumed every aspect of Judy
• Where Scottie last kissed Madeline in the stables

Question 3

Editing =

Answer 3

• Soft fog as Judy emerges as if he is seeing a ghost
• The blurred image of Madeline suggests she is a memory returning to life

Question 4

Performance =

Answer 4

• Initial stare from Madeline where she melts to submission
• Scottie turns in shock which shows how he has been so consumed by his fixation and how successful the transformation has been
• Scottie paces around moving a lot which represents the anxiety and anticipation, he forcebly holds himself to the opposite direction to suppress his nerves

Question 5

Sound =

Answer 5

• Bernard Herrmann’s score which is non-diegetic. Scottie feels overwhelmed with emotion as he achieves his goal of bringing Madeline back. The music pitch falls as she works towards Scottie which has a tone of sadness which highlights how Judy’s identity has been taken from and moulded into another women. The tone then becomes more romantic reflecting the reunion of Scottie and Judy
• No dialogue to enhance the pure cinematics

Question 6

Context =

Answer 6

• Women are confined to specific gender roles and is submissive to the dominance and control of a man
• The concept of the ideal women should be passive, submissive and moulded by male desires. Judy’s transformation reflects gender expectations and how Scottie should be able to mould women into their fantasies and to fit a particular ideal. Her loss of self of becoming the ideal women echoes broader societal pressure on women to conform to rigid standards of beauty. This reflected 1950’s Hollywood cinema where men could shape and mould women to fit their fantasies
• Hitchcock also was breaking the Hays Code through lustful kissing and necrophilia. Implying that the characters are having sex using pure cinema.
• Influence from German Expressionism going into psyche

Question 7

Auteur =

Answer 7

• Madeline is presented as the archetype of Hitchcock’s blonde who is idealised and desirable. She moves towards the camera seductively which shows how she is manufactured to the Male Gaze and there to be objectifies and idealised by Scottie
• Hitchcock is able to highlight Scottie’s obsessive and controlling desire, Scottie is able to remold Judy into Madeline which is a commentary on the objectification of women which is a recurring theme in Hitchcock’s work
• The theme identity and duality between Judy and Madeline which shows identity and perception