Vertigo!

Here is why I don’t like (most) of the cinematography in Vertigo.

Mix it up!

If every dialogue scene doesn’t go like that, it goes like this!

Every car ride plays out like this!

How original.

I suppose I wouldn’t care as much if the acting wasn’t so bad and it wasn’t in the old Hollywood style.

Now everybody may feel free to verbally assault me.

Wait, because you’re…watching it on your computer?

Watching it on a tiny little laptop screen with most of the screen taken up by distracting browser stuff probably isn’t the best way of getting sucked in by Vertigo’s seductive dreamlike alure.

Medium shots and reverse angle shots?
Could you tell us why?

Vertigo is definitely one of my least favourite Hitchcocks,which is why I sometimes have a hard time understanding why so many people rave about it. The shots you demonstrated are good examples of the weaker points in the film, although they aren’t really bad so much as unoriginal. But I feel like you’ve neglected to mention the really unique and memorable shots that are the reason for for so many people’s love of the film.

I will never love this film, but looking at these shots help me to understand why others do. Also, I don’t find the acting that bad— maybe I just find Jimmy Stewart hard not to like, haha.

In certain way, those are “harmless”, “anodyne” images. But remember, Vertigo is made of high contrast. These images and the way they are shot reflect Scooty’s (and most of the characters and society) bland personality and life: Some kind of routine and formula (Scotty’s"official" perception of “reality” at the beginning) to be broken as the film goes by.
The unforgettable (singular, original and specific) images, sequences and treatments come later in order to break and contrast. Remember the very title is referring to another state of mind and perception. Remember turning points and twists, not just in story but in artforms, plasticity, space/time: the whole atmosphere.

As it occurs in Hitchcock’s many other films, perception of Mildness and Comfort is dynamited from the inside, from the images’ own absurdity. I remember the “long” kiss at the beginning of “Dial M for murder”. It seems to be “normal” but you know there’s something unusual in it.
Remember other films, bland and mild at the beginning, that twist themselves in some point:
Audition (Takashi Miike), and some David Lynch’s films for example.

Those are all beautifully composed shots… though admittedly not exhibitionist ones.

I’ll take the color design in those bland reverse shots over the color of any 2009 Hollywood film, minus Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

wait a minute. youre complaining about simple classical shot/reverse-shot patterns, which have been used in a million films? and youre complaining about old hollywood style in relation to an old hollywood movie? would you also like to complain about that old annoying projector sound when youre watching films? maybe that annoying white screen that so many movies are projected on too?

Yeah!
And why doesn’t this stupid old movie have more guns in it, anyways?

Sorry, the version of Vertigo I remember has moving images. The pictures you posted are stills so I don’t get it.

Every car ride plays out like this!

No car ride plays out like Vertigo’s. You might as well be complaining that Mozart’s B-flat notes sound like every other composer’s B-flat notes.

This thread was only meant for STL people but that’s awesome I guess.

And everything you guys have said has already been discussed so…

Jesus Christ Bobby. I said this is why I didn’t like it. I hardly like any old Hollywood style film period.

Gringo, I’m sorry but I hated the way the car rides played out. This whole thread is for the purpose of another discussion so why don’t you go read up on that one before you participate.

And I watched it on my TV but I had to take screenshots for the purpose of my discussion which none of you were a part of to begin with.

If you start a thread, its open to everyone on this site.

Its ridiculous to ask them to go find some random page of StL! where you made the same argument.

C’mon dude. There’s no way we could’ve known this thread was a sequel. Hell, i don’t even like Vertigo that much and was just trying to be funny.

Anyway, Happy New Year!!

My point is I just did this for Law and now all these people are yelling at me!

This is mainly anger towards Law, by the way.

@Daniel WHAT COLOR DESIGN!?!?!?!?!?

Well, the use of that soft green, for one thing, is pretty celebrated.

Are you sarcastically agreeing with me or sarcastically being a smart ass for no good reason?

I’m seriously saying the use of a soft green is celebrated by many. The highlight is supposed to be the scene when Judy finally gets the look right towards the end and is bathed in a green light. Even before that there is a green neon light outside her window that suggests that she is the same girl. The uppermost screenshots you pulled with Stewart in the sweater and such suggest the use of green may be even more intricate than I remember.

I’m sorry but that’s probably a coincidence. Of the 100 dialogue scenes in that movie, he had on a light green sweater in just one of them. I say coincidence.

The next time you want to limit the discussion to people on StL!, please publish it there, and don´t start a new thread, which is very confusing if you don´t want people on the forum to respond.

Law is the one that told me to do this, this wasn’t my idea.

It’s all Law’s fault!!!!

It is! That lousy son of a ….

I just rewatched the green light scene Mike and it’s a very different shade of green. And once again, a light green sweater in one out of a ton of dialogue scenes really doesn’t qualify for me as ‘on purpose’.

bleh. Who said Vertigo was all that anyway? Seriously though, Vertigo’s strong point is its narrative, I’m not sure how anyone (STL or no) could possibly expect Raimi-like cinematography or whatever you’re expecting. Sometimes less or more – I know it’s a tough concept to wrap one’s brain around, but it’s an often true cliche.

Well cinematography is one of many reasons I didn’t like Vertigo. But Law told me to post screenshots of shots I disliked, so that’s what I did. But overall, I really disliked about every aspect of Vertigo, honestly.