Subjects:
Vertigo boasted several different themes. Jimmy Stewart, otherwise known as Scottie in the film, played this "everyman" type whose personality was cruelly twisted into an overly obsessive man. His cause for obsession was a beautiful, young woman played by Kim Novak, known as both Madeleine and Judy in the film. Madeleine drew Scottie in so deep, that he literally became a different person. This film mirrored Hitchcock's personal feelings and was considered to be his favorite film.
While there are many scenes that prove the above theme,
. . .
A third example is the scene where Scottie is trying to make Judy over. He pleaded with her and even begged her to let him do it. To top it off, he took Madeleine to his apartment, not a hospital, and proceeded to undress her entire body while she lay there unconscious. As soon as Midge got out of the car, Scottie pulled out his brochure from the museum and turned to the page that hosted Carlotta's portrait. He began to make promises to Judy that he wasn't
sure he could keep.
These particular scenes are all very successful because they clearly spell out exactly what is happening to Scottie's emotional state. He becomes a completely desperate person. Scottie rushed to her aid, and pulled her from the bay, saving her life. Clearly this was one of the first signs of his growing obsession. Clearly he forgot that he was supposed to be a stranger to her.
Essay's Topics
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