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Film As Mirror In Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo

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Film As Mirror In Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo
Film as Mirror in Hitchcock's Vertigo Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo is a master's class in subtle and effective filmmaking - its noirish tale of obsession and loss is considered one of his best works. This is due in no small part to the directors' use of the various elements of film as a mirror. Hitchcock intends to create a sense of repetition and a cyclical nature to the life of the characters in the film; following Scottie (James Stewart) through his descent and ascent into madness deals significantly with themes of duality and obsession. Furthermore, the use of film as a mirror onto ourselves is made very clear in the audience's relation to Scottie throughout Vertigo. In this paper, three instances of the film as mirror will be detailed …show more content…
The very first shot of the film is a pair of hands desperately grasping a ladder rung in extreme close up. This connects the audience from the beginning with the desperation and fear that comes from hanging from a great height. This pulls back to reveal a shot of a cityscape, focused on the top rungs of a ladder leading to the roof of a building, as we follow the resolute climb and pursuit of a criminal by Scottie and his partner. This shot establishes the faces of the characters and establishes the stakes; the criminal is panicked, and Scottie and his partner are determined and aggressive. The next shot in this scene is a wide shot of the rooftop where the chase is occurring; the blurry, obscured background indicates great distance, and the dull blue lighting indicates dusk. Combine that with the heights at which this chase is happening, and the scene carries the same unease that is placed in the audience during this …show more content…
After an establishing shot of the city, which reminds the audience of the opening scene of the film, we settle on a close-up shot of Scottie's face. Tossing and turning in bed, the shot is long and unflinching, remaining on his face for a long time. This gives the audience time to get accustomed to the series of flashing colors that wash over him, and to put ourselves in his place. This brings us deeper into identifying with Scottie's guilt and curiosity-induced fever dream, which continues the varying flashes of multicolored light, as well as images of animated falling papers and
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