Obsession of Fantasy: Scottie, Judy, and the Importance of Closely Analyzing Vertigo Anonymous 12th Grade

Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo is a shocking tale of love and obsession, and it is just as poignant now as it was nearly 60 years ago. Vertigo tells the story of how Scottie's taken in by appearances—how he's fooled by Madeleine's beauty and her "beautiful phony trances”. But Scottie isn’t the only one obsessed with fantasy and fake appearances. Throughout the film, Hitchcock masterfully crafts his meta-critique of the filmmaking process and the degree of obsession and fetishization inherent in American cinema. Although artfully made, Vertigo is not an easy film to watch—characters are morally dubious, the audience often feels deceived and unsure of who to sympathize with, and the film makes us question our own views of reality and how we perceive others by blurring the lines between objective and subjective reality. By no accounts is Vertigo your typical “feel good” blockbuster, instead, it is so much more. A film rich with meaning and social critique, the impressive use of cinematic elements such as staging and costume design work excellently to drive Hitchcock’s messages home, creating a thought-provoking film that certainly warrants a re-watch.

Throughout Vertigo, the protagonist John “Scottie” Ferguson falls deeply in love...