Lesson 3 - Key Issues - Some Additional Reading

Below are a list of links and articles that focus on the 4 key issues surrounding debate on Vertigo.

A critique of the critical response to Vertigo

This is a really interesting, if challenging, essay on the way in which critics have become 'obsessed' with Vertigo. The author suggests that critics of the film assume the role of Scottie and just like Scottie searching for his ideal woman, the critic is also searching for the meaning behind the Madeline / Judy split (who the 'real' woman is) and ultimately the meaning in Vertigo. The article has interesting links to feminist critiques of Vertigo and Psychoanalytical readings that focus on Lacan (so read this after those lessons! - see posts for lessons 5)

Screening the Past_vertigo and the Maelstrom of Criticism by candifilmstudies

Plot & Narrative structure

http://www.filmsufi.com/2009/12/vertigo-alfred-hitchcock-1958.html

http://narrativejourney.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/vertigo-hitchcock-1958/

Form Inversion in Alfred Hitchcock-Narrative Realism by candifilmstudies

Characters

SPARK NOTES_analysis of Major Characters by candifilmstudies

Scottie

SPARK NOTES_scottie as Everyman by candifilmstudies

female characters

costume and identity

http://clothesonfilm.com/costume-identity-in-hitchcocks-vertigo/25039/

feminist critique of midge

http://www.screeningthepast.com/2011/11/vertigo-and-the-maelstrom-of-criticism/

camera movement in vertigo

http://labyrinth.net.au/~muffin/camera_movement.html richard allen essay

http://jackferdman.com/essays_vertigo.html includes reference to most micro elements

http://www.school-portal.co.uk/GroupDownloadFile.asp?GroupID=171163&ResourceId=3009121 discusses Hitchcock's use of the 3 ‘set pieces’ of camera movement 

music & score https://www.equinoxpub.com/journals/index.php/JFM/article/viewFile/6834/4648

SPARK NOTES_score_soundtrack in Vertigo by candifilmstudies

General overviews of the key issues in the film

http://narrativejourney.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/vertigo-hitchcock-1958/

http://filmstudiesforfree.blogspot.co.uk/2010/11/study-of-single-film-alfred-hitchcocks.html

links to lots of reading and interesting Cinephile video of critics discussing Vertigo

Audience and Critical Reception

Vertigo - Critical Responses by candifilmstudies

Lesson 3 - Key Issues - Critical Reception - Sight & Sound Directors Polls

Director's Poll 2012 - Vertigo is voted joint 7th place with Godfather Part 1

Sightsound Directors Poll 2012 by candifilmstudies

Directors Poll 2002 by candifilmstudies

Lesson 3 - Key Issues - Critical Reception - Sight & Sound Critics Poll

Sightsound Critics Poll 2012 Top100films by candifilmstudies

Sightsound Critics Poll 2012 p1 by candifilmstudies

Sightsound Critics Poll 2012 p2 by candifilmstudies

BFI / SIGHT & SOUND 2012 CRITICS & DIRECTORS POLL - BEST FILM

Critics Poll 2012 - Vertigo is placed at Number 1

Lesson 3 - Key Issues - Audience & Critical Reception to Vertigo_Reviews

Vertigo_a Few Quotations by candifilmstudies

Sightsound 2012 Vertigo Review p1 by candifilmstudies

Sightsound 2012 Vertigo Review p2 by candifilmstudies

Vertigo Sightsound1959 Review by candifilmstudies

Vertigo Variety Review by candifilmstudies

Vertigo_lesson 3_popular Adn Critical Responses_overview Activity Grid by candifilmstudies

Lesson 3 - Key Issues - An Overview

Below you will find a prezi that offers an overview of some of the key issues & debates surrounding Vertigo.

In class, we will cover the issue of audience and critical reception in more detail, so the focus of this prezi is to offer an overview of the following key issues in the film:

1) plot & narrative
2) pure cinema / film form
3) characters
4) a film about spectatorship

Task:
Using your mind map, follow the Prezi path and make summary notes for each of the key areas. You will then be expected to feedback your findings to your group / class and use your notes to answer a Key Issues in Vertigo quiz.




You will find the sources used & referenced in this prezi, along with other relevant reading that discusses some of these key issues in more detail, in another post for Lesson 3.

Some Key Reading:

Martin Rubin, in his chapter called Hitchcock's Golden Era, in the book Thrillers,  considers the importance of Hitchcock's' body of work and addresses a number of the key issues identified in Vertigo, and culminates in his view that his film is about spectatorship due to Hitchcock's use of camera, narrative structure and use of characters.

Vertigo - Rubin Golden Era Chapter by candifilmstudies

Lesson 3 - Key Sequences

We are going to analyse 3 key sequences from Vertigo. 

We have chosen these sequences as they are seen to epitomize some of Hichcock's techniques or 'set pieces' with camera movement in the film. 

They are also useful scenes for analyzing other elements of pure cinema, such as editing, sound and mise-en-scene, along with narrative structure, representation of characters and issues around the idea of spectatorship.

Key Sequence 1: Elster's Wife (16.13:21.16)

Key Sequence 2: This is Real & The Tower (1.08.52:1.15.03)

Key Sequence 3: The Transformation - (1.47.29-1.52.38)

Vertigo 2013 Analysis of Key Sequences Grid by candifilmstudies

Lesson 2 - Hitchcock's' Vertigo - Screening Homework - Writing a Review

FM3-Vertigo 2012_13_lesson 2_homework Task - REVIEW by candifilmstudies

Lesson 2 - Hitchcock's Vertigo - Screening Grid

FM3-Vertigo 2012 13 Lesson 2 Screening Grid by candifilmstudies

Lesson 2 - Hitchcock's Vertigo - Film Screening