In his 1958 film, Vertigo, Hitchcock introduces Scottie, a retired detective who suffers from acrophobia (fear of heights). This film, in comparison to the rest of Hitchcock’s body of work, is one of the most unique and mind-boggling films I have ever come across. In the opening scene (time stamp: 0:50-1:25), the extreme close-up of the girl’s face and her eye and the use of color already gives the audience a vague idea of what the film is about. Techniques like this set the tone for the film, along with sound and lighting.
Another scene that interested me was when Scottie was observing Gavin and Madeleine at dinner in order to see her peculiar behavior (time stamp: 17:22). In this particular frame, there is a side profile of Madeleine, whose face almost resembles a silhouette. The paleness of her skin and hair almost portray the innocence in her eyes, but the silhouette alone made me think twice about her character. In Hitchcock’s past films, he has used side profiles/silhouettes to indirectly speak about someone’s character. In this case, although Madeleine appears to be innocent and healthy, the silhouette implies that she has a hidden agenda (hence why Gavin is having Scottie follow her).
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