Vertigo Notes

1. QUESTION: Using your notes below and your notes from your thriller
seminars, analyse how Vertigo conforms to our expectations of thriller codes
and conventions.
EDITING
Non linear editing from chase scene to conversation in art room. The green woman
and Scotty scene ends with fading out into red - foreshadowing something bad is
going to happen. As well as with the unsettling score along with a flashback of
when Madeline is still alive and faked her death.
CAMERA SHOTS/ANGLES/MOVEMENT
First shot of push out ‘vertigo effect’ as Scotty (John Ferguson) hangs from the
building. Mixing perspectives. Birds eye view shot of the man falling off the building.
Match on action of Scotty climbing the ladder. Low angle of lady as he is on top. But
then there is a jump cut to the point of view looking down a building conveying
Scotty’s greatest fear. The perspective shot of the over the shoulder shot makes
Scotty feel smaller when the other man offers him a job to follow his wife. The two
shot of Scotty and the other man looking into each others eyes provide a sense of
conflict. Tacking shot inward and then outwards to establish the restaurant scene.
As Madeline comes into focus, soft focused is used while hard focus is used on
Scotty so that he is more emphasised. A lot of Low angle shot of Scotty in the
graveyard. Voyeurism - when people love watching others through a distorted view.
Auteur Theory. Tilt shot than a close up of the painting that Madeline is facing.
Close up of Madeline’s hair then the woman in the painting’s hair.
Many POV shots of Scotty as follows Madeline through the streets. Every shot of
the street become more mysterious. Madeline has dominance in the red door scene
as she has the high angle.
Match on action of Madeline relating her life and suicide with the core of a red
woods tree. Looking at maze like symbols are quite a common feature in thrillers.
Low angle shot of Judy to show dominance of Scotty during the scene in which they
were on top of the tower.
SOUND
Starts out with an unsettling score in the opening credits. Orchestra pleonastic
sound is used during the chase scene. Ambient sound of the construction occurring
outside during the scene between Scotty and the man in the construction industry.
The violins become pleonastic as Madeline approaches Scotty. As Scotty and
Madeline get very close but are abruptly stopped by the phone call from Madeline’s
husband.
When Scotty POV shot driving - there is more eerie music occurring to portray how
Scotty is becoming more abscessed with her.

2. SETTING & MISE-EN-SCENE
Lot’s of red in the dining scene as well as a change in music to more orchestra
violins and then presents Madeline. Madeline’s car is also green to conform with
her green dress.
Use of Hitchcock’s colour pallets. Scotty wear green in the meeting scene which
has connotations of positive and earthly. Where as Madeline wears red and has
connotations of warnings. Also, the use of Madeline’s red door connote warnings
and caution.
Long winding roads are usually used in thriller films to show how anything could
happen because you couldn’t see around the corner. Also to build suspense.
Hitchcock has used a lot of sea scene to make the scene feel uncontrollable,
dangerous. Sea shows how things are lurking beneath the surface.
Madeline wears blue and always wears different outfits. She is considered as a
femme fatal.
Repeated imagery of green in the scene with Scotty and the woman. While Scotty
is more forceful as he wears more dark brown, greys and black clothing.
A style chosen by Hitchcock witch is the repeated imagery of the grey suits found in
Judy’s green’s closet.
Repeated setting of the building makes the shot look like a painting.
The neckless on Judy’s neck is symbolic as it is reoccurring in the film.
THEMES & MOTIFS
Marriage - college engagement.
Voyerism of Scotty looking at Madeline.
Voyeurism - when people love watching others through a distorted view. Auteur
Theory for the directors own theory of the film.
Characters are constantly questioning themselves as Scotty is for his sanity.
Repeated colours of red and green. From cars to clothes to the tie in the red woods
scene.
Scotty is asserting his masculine dominance on Judy to change into Madeline. Also
echoes Hitchcock’s use of blondes.
SYMBOLIC CODES (including enigma and binary opposites)
Opening credits has visual metaphor for twisted minds with the spinning lines. The
shot of the book has the painting and the image of Madeline show how Scotty’s
infatuation of her begins. Hitchcock has used the symbolism of the sea to make the
scene feel uncontrollable, dangerous. Sea shows how things are lurking beneath
the surface.
Binary opposites of white dress as apposed to the browny black suit. When Scotty
and Madeline kiss for the first time, there are crashing waves behind them
symbolising the dangerous nature of what they are doing.
The use of the twisted stairs which frighten Scotty also symbolise his twisted mind.
The repeated imagery of the red necklace causes Scotty have a realisation that
Madeline is dead.
The nun ringing of the bell symbolises death and passing-bells.

3. IDEOLOGY
The Red woods provide wide shots of Scotty and Madeline conveying how minute
they are in comparison. The ideology of suicide.
Scotty’s fear of heights was the cause of Madeline’s death as it stopped him from
reaching her in time.
The repeated imagery of the woman who looks like Madeline is a haunting Scotty
and making him feel more infatuated.
The ideology of misogyny is stereotypical in thriller films with the mistreatment of
woman.
LIGHTING
Chase scene contains blue light as it is shot at night to establish the setting of San
Fransisco. The shots of the driving in the streets is very desaturated in comparison
to the restaurant. Chiaroscuro lighting used with the contrast in lighting of the dark
low key lighting of Scotty in the room while Madeline is in the high key lighting with
the flowers highlighting her beauty. But the back to natural light in the streets. Low
key lighting is used in the hotel sequence as Scotty walks into her hotel room.
Chiaroscuro lighting is used again with Judy as she has sense of mystery - enigma.
Along with the contrasting colours of green and red.
The higher they go up the tower, the darker it gets. Also chiaroscuro lighting is used
and the split personalities.
NARRATIVE
Starts out with a non linear sequence as it goes from a chase scene to the
conversation in the art room.
The narrative has changed as we learn that perhaps Scotty wasn’t as crazy as
though he was when Judy green reveals the truth of her death was faked.
CHARACTERS
REPRESENTATION
Scotty (John Ferguson) character is seen of having acrophobia - fear of leaving,
and a fear of heights vertigo. Seen admiring the bra in the beginning. Madeline
stands out in the restaurant wearing green as apposed to all the read in the room.
madeline wears a grey suit in the street scene which is a huge contrast to the
restaurant dress which make the audience harder to figure out what kind of
character she is.
Hitchcock has purposely made a contrast in the clothing and colour between
Mitch’s clothing as apposed Madeline’s clothing.
Its quite common in thriller films that main characters start questioning themselves
such as Scotty in Vertigo.
Scotty forces Judy to wear a grey suit as he has an obsession over what Madeline
wore.

4. MOOD & TONE
Use of Hitchcock’s colour pallets. Scotty wear green in the meeting scene which
has connotations of positive and earthly. Where as Madeline wears red and has
connotations of warnings. Also, the use of Madeline’s red door connote warnings
and caution.
Long winding roads are usually used in thriller films to show how anything could
happen because you couldn’t see around the corner. Also to build suspense.
Hitchcock has used a lot of sea scene to make the scene feel uncontrollable,
dangerous. Sea shows how things are lurking beneath the surface.
Madeline wears blue and always wears different outfits. She is considered as a
femme fatal.