1) Vertigo explores Hitchcock's obsession with controlling and reconstructing women to fit his ideal. He used his films and the characters to work through his own romantic failings. 2) The film depicts Scottie reconstructing Judy's appearance and personality to create his perfect woman, mirroring Hitchcock's treatment of his actresses. 3) Psychoanalysis links Scottie's obsession with Madeleine and reconstruction of Judy to regain his masculinity after a perceived "castration" during the prologue that left him feeling emasculated. The film allows the audience to share in Scottie's gaze and construction of the idealized feminine form.

1. Vertigo Revision Cards
Topic: Re-Construction of Women
Auteur Psychoanalysis Laura Mulvey’s Male Gaze
Grace Kelly said: “Sometimes he merely Stewart’s re-construction of Judy is linked Madeleine is repeatedly shot from a POV
wears actors down until he gets what he with his need to re-gain the masculine angle, positioning the audience as the
wants” qualities he lost during the prologue. His voyeur. We are encouraged by Hitchcock
inability to save himself and confrontation to gaze at Madeleine and take pleasure
This aspect of Hithcock’s personality is with death led to his development of from her beauty (to-be-looked-at-ness).
seen throughout Vertigo through Scotties Vertigo. Psychoanalysts call this loss of We are complicit in Scotties obsession and
construction of Judy. Scottie changes masculinity the castration complex and later re-construction of Judy. As we gaze at
Judy’s appearance and personality in an through his loss of masculinity Scottie is Judy from Scotties POV during the
attempt to create the perfect women. castrated. Freud claims that the most shopping scenes we take pleasure in our
Stewart said to Novak “He made you over effective cure for psychological conditions construction of the perfect women. We are
just like I did – only better” The is to revisit the trauma until its effects aligned with Scottie as he becomes active
relationship between Judy and Scottie dissipate. Scottie subconsciously attempts in the narrative. The passive Judy follows
contains startling comparisons with not this through his obsession with Madeleine. instructions and does as she is told.
only Hitchcock’s relationship with Novak, He sees the need to protect her as a way of Mulvey states that the role of women in
but all of his leading ladies. In creating a re-gaining masculine qualities lost during cinema is to be looked at by both the male
film like Vertigo Hitchcock is granting the castration. After he fails, he attempts to character and the audience. Consider the
audience a view in to his psyche – his re-create and re-visit the trauma in order first shot of Madeliene in Ernies Bar - she is
strange love and loathing of women. This to cure himself. Judy is discovered and shot in a way that emphaises her beauty
representation links to Hitchcock’s own Scottie set’s about his transformation. In and allure. Scotties attention, and in turn
romantic obsessions and inadequacies. He doing so he becomes more dominant and the audiences’ is fixed on her
was unable to control and obtain the controlling – masculine qualities he is as we are allowed to get closer
perfect women in reality so he instead unable to express against men... to her through the tracking
chose cinema. shot.