Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958) Thoughts

'Vertigo' incorporated many film techniques in order to capture a disorientated feel that coincides with the eponymous vertigo that the protagonist, John, suffers from. The most iconic technique is the contra-zoom used when John is climbing the bell tower.

The entire point of the film is the sense of vertigo that not only does John sense but also that the audience is conveyed with through the use of camera. 

A prominent scene for snappy editing is the opening scene which features a chase along the rooftops which sees John get is initial fear of heights. 

The way that this scene transpires is mostly down to the focus. It begins naturally following the action as the chase  Until John slips and grabs the pipe, it stays with the chase. Once John slips, the focus of the scene changes and stays on him as the police officer reaches for him. We cut to where the action is located. An interesting point is how the perspective changes when the officer falls off the roof. Most films would switch to a extreme long shot and capture the fall itself however 'Vertigo' goes for a point of view shot to put us in John's place as he watches his associate fall to his death. The perspective makes the death more personal and shocking.  

I was surprised by 'Vertigo' because of the narrative. From all that I had heard about the film, I was under the impression that the film would be focusing on John Ferguson's crippling fear of heights however I instead was presented with a tragic love story where the same mistake by the characters is made twice. What engaged me was not only James Stewart's performance but the good twist involving the death of his lover and how it was put together. It's tragic, mean spirited and ultimately blurs the lines of morality because John goes from a sympathetic, heart broken man to what would be considered now an abusive boyfriend. 'Vertigo' offers very good character study.