• 05-09-2025 - on This Moment in Film History

  • May 9 2025
  • Length: 2 mins
  • Podcast

05-09-2025 - on This Moment in Film History

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  • Summary

  • On May 9th, 1958, Alfred Hitchcock's psychological thriller "Vertigo" premiered in San Francisco, California. The film, starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, has become a classic in the history of cinema.

    "Vertigo" tells the story of John "Scottie" Ferguson, a retired police detective who suffers from acrophobia (fear of heights) and vertigo. He is hired by an old friend, Gavin Elster, to follow his wife, Madeleine, who has been behaving strangely. As Scottie becomes obsessed with Madeleine, he finds himself drawn into a complex web of deceit, obsession, and murder.

    The film is renowned for its innovative cinematography, particularly the "dolly zoom" effect, which creates a disorienting sense of vertigo for the viewer. This technique, also known as the "Hitchcock zoom" or "Vertigo effect," has been widely imitated in the decades since the film's release.

    "Vertigo" received mixed reviews upon its initial release but has since been recognized as a masterpiece of cinema. In 2012, it displaced "Citizen Kane" as the greatest film of all time in the British Film Institute's Sight & Sound critics' poll.

    The film's exploration of obsession, identity, and the blurred lines between reality and illusion has inspired countless filmmakers and continues to captivate audiences to this day. Its haunting score, composed by Bernard Herrmann, and the iconic performances by Stewart and Novak have cemented "Vertigo" as a timeless classic in the history of film.
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