How come Vertigo replaced this as #1 on the Sight & Sound poll?
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thomas-begen-194-976045 — 10 years ago(May 05, 2015 02:25 PM)
Personally, I think Hitchcock messed the bed on "Vertigo." Stewart and Novak were miscast as far as I'm concerned. Not unlike many of his films, Hitchcock doesn't seem to know how to end "Vertigo." The ending ruined an already poor film for me. I take very little away from "Vertigo" in the way of meaning or a moral.
Since you're a Hitch fan, what about "Rebecca" and "The Birds"? Personally, those are two of my favorite Hitchcock films. I like "North By Northwest," but I feel "Psycho" and "Rear Window" are probably the his overrated. -
thomas-begen-194-976045 — 10 years ago(May 06, 2015 11:41 AM)
Since this question is hypothetical, I'll try to answer it as best I can and briefly. By the time of "Vertigo," Veronica was no longer relevant. She ceased to be relevant with the end of the 1940s. Since you mention it, if it were possible, I think Lake in her prime would've been much better than Kim Novak, who I am adamant was miscast. Come to think of it, I wonder why Lake was never cast in a Hitchcock film, given she was a beautiful Hitchcockian blonde. Perhaps it was her height or due to contracts. I think she would have done fine in one of his films.
Since what you're asking was basically impossible because Lake was no longer relevant in the early- to mid-1950s, I have a few other suggestions. On IMDB's "Vertigo" page it states Hitch wanted Vera Miles for the part. I believe she would have been a much better fit. However, a better Hitchcock blonde may've been Tippi Hedren, who would star in "Marnie" and "The Birds" only a few years later. He also remarks that James Stewart was too old for the part, which I agree. I don't have any suggestions except that I definitely wouldn't want Cary Grant in another movie making out with a woman half his age.
All that said, these casting choices weren't the only thing wrong with this movie. I believe much of it was poorly executed, especially the ending, which people either love or hate. Originally, "Vertigo" got slammed. It's only recently that it's been considered one of Hitch's great films. I'm more of a classicist and I have to disagree. I don't think very highly of "Citizen Kane" but if the battle for first on Sight and Sound's list of great films is between these two films I would have to side with "Citizen Kane."
By the way, Veronica Lake is in no way my favorite actress or the one I find most beautiful. I just like the picture. I'll change it soon enough. -
thefly50 — 11 years ago(March 18, 2015 09:20 AM)
I was just thinking about that (Even without your comment). I was quite tired when writing that. Sorry. Yes, I guess you're right. But Griffith's film is one that has aged
atrociously
. The length, the racism, and pretty much everything else in it prevents me from recommending it to anyone but people who are interested in the history of cinema. It is a relic, a monument. Its sole worth nowadays is historical (And I'll be damned before saying such a thing about Citizen Kane). It's (rightly) accused of racism, and its reputation perhaps made people forget that there have been feature films way before it (The Story of the Kelly Gang), and even in America (The Squaw Man, anyone?). But yeah, BoaN is a more important film than CK. -
HotDogBox — 9 years ago(June 01, 2016 01:09 PM)
"It is the most important film ever made,"
The most important film ever made is The Horse in Motion, being the first film and predating the motion camera, followed by the actual first recorded movies. Neither Vertigo or Citizen Kane would exist without them.
"and it comes as close to perfection as human art can."
How is Kane a bigger achievement than the music of great classical compositors? Than the best of the best sculptors?
Heck, is it even bestter than the best sequential art magazine ever made(or in lesser words, a comicbook?).
You can't compare art like that, not across lines. Thinking you can only makes it look silly when you try to prop up something as the be all end all of everything. -
GuenniBraunsten — 9 years ago(June 11, 2016 03:46 AM)
""and it comes as close to perfection as human art can."
How is Kane a bigger achievement than the music of great classical compositors? Than the best of the best sculptors?
Heck, is it even bestter than the best sequential art magazine ever made(or in lesser words, a comicbook?).
You can't compare art like that, not across lines. Thinking you can only makes it look silly when you try to prop up something as the be all end all of everything."
His quote doesn't say it's better than all the things you said, just that it's not worse. And that's only if you equate greatness in art with perfection, which I wouldn't do anyway. -
Liz01219 — 11 years ago(March 24, 2015 10:32 AM)
I am a big Hitchcock fan but maybe I'm the only one who really didn't care much for "Vertigo" or for that matter "Marnie".
Anyway I've never heard of the poll you cited, but on the AFI top 100 from 2007, "Vertigo" placed #9.
I can't believe that Jimmy Stewart said supposedly this was his favorite film.
AFI puts out their poll every 10 yrs so we'll see where all of them place next time especially the top 10. -
thefly50 — 11 years ago(March 24, 2015 10:41 AM)
The Sight & Sound poll is perhaps the most well-known ranking list in the world. Basically, the British magazine takes a lot of critics and directors from all around the world every ten years, and creates a list for both the critics and the directors, based on 10 films every director/critic votes for.
Vertigo is a great film, but I have two problems with it:- The romance is quite unconvincing, but this works in the film's favour.
- The ending-what a cop out! It seems like Hitch was trying to be poetic and forgot he isn't good at that. The ending does not work in the film's favour. It simply blows.
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theuserformerlyknownasfrantruff — 9 years ago(December 18, 2016 12:41 PM)
When I first saw "Vertigo", I felt outraged by that ending ("You have got to be kidding me.
Death by nun?
?! And so beep suddenly?"). Now I like it a bit more, but I always remember that first impression. Perhaps it would have worked better for me if Judy had been established as being paranoid or having halucinations. -
Beau_Buffet — 9 years ago(December 18, 2016 12:56 PM)
It's more complicated than that.
Here's something I wrote on the Vertigo board.
SPOILERS FOR VERTIGO****************
(English is not my native language, so I'll keep it simple.)
The nun did not "spook" Madeleine.
My understanding is: when Madeleine saw the nun she experienced two things.
First, the guilt of being accessory to a murder.
Second (and that not so much on the nun, but on the scene that just preceded it, and all her affair with Scottie), she realized that whatever she would do, she would never be loved for who she really was. And she couldn't live with that thought.
So she jumped to her death. -
frantruff — 11 years ago(March 24, 2015 01:11 PM)
I can't believe that Jimmy Stewart said supposedly this was his favorite film.
I thought he said "It's a Wonderful Life" was his favourite film where he acted.
BTW, AFI has only put out two such lists, so I don't think it's accurate to say they put them out every ten years. -
thomas-begen-194-976045 — 10 years ago(May 05, 2015 02:31 PM)
It's encouraging you actually criticize "Vertigo" but I really hope you're not dumping on "It's a Wonderful Life." It's the first classic film I watched as an adult and it's easily among Stewart's best films.
I don't know how people can dismiss it as simply a "feel-good film" when it deals with the very serious existential issue of nihilism in some fasion, and suicidality.
It's too bad there are not more American films like it; though, European filmmakers probably do existentialism better.
I guess America never really caught on given we didn't experience WWII and the Holocaust in the way Europe did? -
thefly50 — 10 years ago(May 29, 2015 04:09 AM)
I'm certainly not criticising Frank Capra's masterpiece. The message is ultimately feel-good, but there are also some rather dark undertones to it. There's obviously a place for this kind of movie when done right (and It's a Wonderful Life is about as right as they come).