Chapter Four
Tippi’s Takes Presents:
What Hitch Taught Me About Life
An exploration of life and cinema from the viral sensation
by Tippi Rathbone
Chapter Four
Vertigo (1958): History Repeats Itself
Many critics list Vertigo as their favorite Hitchcock film.
Perhaps it’s the stylish San Francisco setting or the dizzying camera shots or the hint of supernatural interference.
Kim Novak gives a memorable performance, essentially playing two characters, in this twisted tale of love and deception.
Behind the scenes, the actress recounted a complicated relationship with the acclaimed director.
Starlets like Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman, and Vera Miles had surrendered their acting careers in pursuit of romance and motherhood, a pattern that irritated Hitch; he seemingly took his frustrations out on Novak during production.
Like many of his other films, Vertigo dives into psychological obsession, as the male lead (another brilliant performance by Jimmy Stewart) tries to untangle interconnected mysteries, all of which involve multiple characters falling to their deaths.
In the process, he’s challenged to either face his fear of heights (and life in general) or shoulder the blame for the destruction that follows.
The cyclical nature of these tragedies teaches audiences that history tends to repeat itself, especially if the root cause of conflict isn’t addressed.