Vertigo (1958)

Academy Awards, USA 1959

Nominated Oscar	Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White or Color Hal Pereira Henry Bumstead Sam Comer Frank R. McKelvy
	Best Sound George Dutton (Paramount SSD)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
My rating: 3.5 stars out of 4
IMDb Wikipedia
(Blu-ray, Universal)

San Francisco police detective Jimmy Stewart retires after his fear of heights results in the death of a fellow officer. He is soon coaxed out of it by an old friend who wants him to follow his wife, whom he believes is in danger. Stewart observes her mysteriously sitting in a museum staring at a painting, visiting a grave and staying in an old hotel (only to disappear). They meet when he fishes her out of the bay after an apparent suicide attempt, and they fall in love. She describes a vivid nightmare, which Stewart recognizes as a local historical place and drives here there. Instead, she jumps from a bell tower, apparently succeeding in committing suicide this time. Stewart reacts badly and is sent to an asylum. After a year he is released, but roams the streets looking for his love. He spots a woman with a remarkable resemblance and follows her to her apartment, where he talks his way inside and convinces her to have dinner. He manipulates her into changing her appearance to look even more like the dead woman. However, when the transformation is complete, he learns the truth about her and tragedy seems to repeat itself. Hitchcock's most celebrated film is actually a fairly straightforward murder plot that the audience is in on the entire time. Stewart is the only one who doesn't get it, and we watch him suffer needlessly for it, but perhaps that was Hitchcock's intention. It all glides along like a dream.