In Vertigo, Hitchco*ck wins sympathy forScottie almost immediately as he dangles by his fingernails froma rooftop high above the street. The camera’s dizzying angle presentsScottie’s point of view as he hangs helplessly over the abyss. Whenthe camera cuts to his face, it is powerfully engaging to see Scottie’scold sweat and obvious terror. Our sympathy and identification withthe protagonist are key to the film’s powerful impact.
After bonding with Scottie in crisis, we then get a senseof Scottie’s amiability, sense of humor, and desirability to womenin the scene in Midge’s apartment. The fear of heights that he exhibitsin the same scene is a common phobia with which many viewers can easilyidentify. When it leads to Scottie’s downfall, his pain can be feltall the more keenly.
These opening scenes position Scottie as an Everyman—someonewith attractive character traits and some very human flaws. His careeraspiration to become chief of police, his conflicted feelings aboutMidge, and his need to recuperate after a brush with death on theroof all serve to make him accessible and human. When he tentativelyaccepts a detective job from Gavin Elster, we can sympathize withhis desire to feel useful and to immerse himself in his prior lifeas detective.
It is critical that we feel sympathy for Scottie by thetime he begins to trail Madeleine because the dreamlike “detectivework” scenes change every-day reality into a world that is harderto recognize or to compare to the real world. Hitchco*ck employssoft-focus camera work and Bernard Herrmann’s swirling music tocreate a world that facilitates Scottie’s ever-growing obsessionwith Madeleine. By the time Scottie and Madeleine profess theirlove for each other, we’ve been assimilated into this dream worldand are as enchanted as Scottie is by Madeleine’s ethereal, hauntedpersona and as anxious to help Madeleine escape her “possession.”When Madeleine hurls herself off the bell tower of San Juan Bautista,Scottie’s helplessness and anguish are ours as well.
Hitchco*ck tests our sympathy for Scottie as his obsessionfor the dead Madeleine leads him to mold Judy into Madeleine’s image.But Hitchco*ck lessens the distastefulness of this monomaniacal behaviorby first showing Scottie at his weakest and most vulnerable. FollowingMadeleine’s death, the catatonic Scottie is placed in a sanatoriumand is completely unresponsive to Midge’s aid and care. The doctorreveals that Scottie suffers from “acute melancholia, together witha guilt complex.” Hitchco*ck even makes us privy to Scottie’s nightmares,which he depicts in a striking mix of cartoon and surreal photography.The dream culminates with the protagonist falling headlong intoan open grave. By experiencing his dream, the viewer gains a visceralsense of Scottie’s identification with Madeleine and his subconsciousdesire to join her in death. While Scottie’s subsequent obsessivenessmay still be distasteful, Hitchco*ck has ensured an understandingof the roots of that behavior. Hitchco*ck also strengthens the identificationwith Scottie’s obsession by filming many key scenes from Scottie’sperspective. When Judy emerges from her room completely transformed,the camera turns with Scottie to show what he sees: her figure bathedin a green light, her outline diffused in a ghostly glow.
By the time Scottie discovers Judy’s secret past as “Madeleine” andbegins his maniacal return to the top of the bell tower, our feelingsare as conflicted as his. We are horrified when he drags Judy up thestairs and simultaneously root for him to conquer his acrophobiaand reach the top. We share the admixture of repulsion and attractionScottie feels toward Judy/Madeleine as she attempts to explain herrole in the death of Elster’s wife. Instead of providing a feelingof completion or catharsis, however, the final sequence of eventsresurrects the state of suspense: Judy has fallen to her death andScottie stands in the bell tower, untroubled by acrophobia, but ashattered man in every other sense.
As a film expert and enthusiast, I have studied and analyzed Alfred Hitchco*ck's masterpiece, "Vertigo," extensively. Through my in-depth knowledge and understanding of the film's concepts and techniques, I can demonstrate how Hitchco*ck effectively captures the audience's sympathy for the protagonist, Scottie.
From the opening scene, Hitchco*ck establishes a strong connection between the viewers and Scottie. As Scottie hangs precariously from a rooftop, the camera angles and Scottie's visible fear and sweat evoke a sense of helplessness and terror. This immediate display of vulnerability creates a powerful impact, and we sympathize with Scottie's plight.
Our sympathy deepens as we witness Scottie's amiable personality, sense of humor, and his desirability to women in Midge's apartment. Additionally, his fear of heights, a common phobia, allows many viewers to easily identify with him. When this fear leads to Scottie's downfall, we feel his pain even more intensely. These early scenes establish Scottie as an Everyman, someone with relatable strengths and flaws, making him accessible and human.
It is crucial for the audience to feel sympathy for Scottie before he begins trailing Madeleine. The dreamlike detective work scenes that follow transform everyday reality into a world that becomes increasingly unrecognizable. Through the use of soft-focus camera work and Bernard Herrmann's captivating music, Hitchco*ck creates an enchanting atmosphere that mirrors Scottie's growing obsession with Madeleine. We are drawn into this dream world and become as captivated as Scottie is by Madeleine's ethereal and haunted persona.
The climax of the film, where Madeleine jumps off the bell tower, elicits a profound sense of helplessness and anguish in both Scottie and the audience. Hitchco*ck skillfully tests our sympathy for Scottie as his obsession with the deceased Madeleine leads him to transform Judy into Madeleine's image. However, Hitchco*ck mitigates the distastefulness of Scottie's behavior by first showing him in his weakest and most vulnerable state. Placed in a sanatorium, Scottie is catatonic and unresponsive to Midge's care. Through Scottie's nightmares, depicted with a striking mix of cartoon and surreal photography, we gain a visceral sense of his identification with Madeleine and his subconscious desire to join her in death. While Scottie's subsequent obsessiveness may still be disturbing, Hitchco*ck ensures that we understand the roots of his behavior.
Hitchco*ck further strengthens our identification with Scottie's obsession by filming several key scenes from his perspective. When Judy reveals her transformation, the camera turns with Scottie, allowing us to see what he sees, creating a sense of immersion and empathy. As Scottie discovers Judy's secret past and embarks on his maniacal return to the bell tower, our feelings become conflicted, echoing his internal struggle. We are horrified by his actions but also root for him to conquer his acrophobia and reach the top. The final sequence of events, which ends with Judy's death and Scottie standing in the bell tower, shattered in every sense except for his fear of heights, leaves us with a mix of repulsion and attraction.
In summary, Hitchco*ck expertly weaves together various techniques, such as camera angles, music, and character development, to garner sympathy for Scottie throughout "Vertigo." By immersing the audience in Scottie's emotions and experiences, Hitchco*ck creates a captivating and emotionally resonant film that continues to captivate audiences to this day.
