As one ofthe most influential directors in cinematic history,Alfred Hitchcockhas a plethora of critically acclaimed and groundbreaking films forever linked to his name. The “Master of Suspense” directed over fifty feature-length films throughout his monumental career, from the renowned spy thrillerNorth by Northwestto the revolutionary horror picturePsycho. With innovative talents, Hitchcock was a well-known perfectionist with the camera, but even his staple movie is no stranger to obvious flaws.
Vertigo, starringJimmy StewartandKim Novak, is considered Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece and is widely regarded as one ofthe greatest films ever made. The psychological thriller is based on the 1954 novelD’entre les morts(From Among the Dead) byBoileau-Narcejac, telling the story of John “Scottie” Ferguson (Stewart), a retired police detective suffering from severe vertigo, who is hired by his friend Gavin Elster(Tom Helmore) to investigate his wife Madeleine’s (Novak) ghostly behavior, which only leads Scottie further into hallucinations. The film itself was industry-defining despiteits mixed reviews and underwhelming box office performance; however,Hitchcock also knewVertigohad a major plot hole that couldn’t be overlooked.
A former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.
Alfred Hitchcock Blamed Jimmy Stewart for ‘Vertigo’s Critical Failure
Vertigois one ofAlfred Hitchcock’s longer-running filmsthat is undoubtedly made for the giant silver screen.Introducing the dolly zoom to the cinematic world, the movie is expertly directed and meticulously edited with a perfect, larger-than-life cast to shine as a classic.Hitchcock made several changes from the book source, including changing the setting from Paris to San Francisco and the motivations of Jimmy Stewart’s character. What is essentially a story of dark obsession, paranoia, and love, Hitchcock’s adaptation is more provocative than the original narrative, butVertigostill failed to impress the critics during its theatrical release.
According toThe Irish Times, Hitchcock blamed Jimmy Stewart for the critical disappointment of his favorite film.The Master of Suspense felt the “everyman” actor, who was 50 at the time, appeared too oldfor audiences to believe his character could be the love interest of the then 25-year-old Kim Novak. Yet, this wasn’t the only problem Hitchcock recognized with Stewart. The biggest issue concerned a controversial plot hole involving Stewart’s character, Scottie, and his severe case of acrophobia.
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The film’splot twistis revealed when viewers find out that Madeleine Elster is actually an actress named Judy Barton whom Gavin hired to impersonate his real wife. Gavin and Judy work together to convince Scottie that Madeleine has an obsession with a deceased Carlotta Valdes, which drives her to hysterically rush to the top of a Spanish mission and die by suicide. In reality, Gavin fools everyone by throwing his dead wife off the ledge while Judy hides in the shadows. But in order to pull off this scheme,Gavin heavily relies on Scottie’s fear of heightsto prevent him from chasing Judy to the top of the building.
In a series of 1962 interviewswith Hitchcock and the French New Wave director,François Truffaut, Hitchcock confesses what bothered him most aboutVertigo’s plot hole, stating:
“…The husband was planning to throw his wife down from the top of the tower. But how could he know that James Stewart wouldn’t make it up those stairs? Because he became dizzy? How could he be sure of that!”
Although Hitchcock does a brilliant job demonstrating the depth of Scottie’s fear of heights with the dolly zoom,it’s hard to believe a smart criminal like Gavin Elster would assume his friend’s vertigo could deter him from discovering the truthbehind Madeleine’s murder.With no apparent plan B,the tycoon’s scheme could have easily failed if the detective had overcome his dizzy spells at that moment, validating somecritics’ claims ofVertigobeing unconvincing.
Judy Agreeing to Scottie’s Makeover Demands Doesn’t Make Sense
Nevertheless, it was a combination of Scottie and Judy’s character development that was perceived as debatable. When Scottie finds Judy again much later, drawn to her by her strikingly similar appearance to Madeleine, their lust for one another conquers all reason. Scottie becomes obsessed with Novak’s new persona, who introduces herself as Judy from Salina, Kansas. As a former police detective, Scottie has a keen eye for unraveling the truth, and he persists in seducing Judy to the point of lunacy.
In 1962, Truffaut and Hitchcock further discussed the scenes in which Scottie demands that Judy dress up as Gavin’s deceased wife. The directors agreed that this creepy attitude was a representation of necrophilia at its finest, as the detective’s physical lust for Judy grew to the extreme when she reappeared as Madeleine. However, Judy’s compliance in obeying the makeover is much more problematic. As analyzed in the bookVertigo: The Making of a Hitchcock ClassicbyDan Auiler, Hitchcock felt thatit was implausible for Judy to agree to Scottie’s elaborate request to recreate Madeleine’s look and behavior, given her own involvement in the crime. This aspect of the plot strained her believability since it required Judy to risk exposing the entire ruse by cooperating with Scottie’s obsessive reconstruction of her.
In addition to thesemajor plot holes,Vertigocompletely forgets to tie up one of its most interesting characters — Midge (Barbara Bel Geddes), Scottie’s ex-fiancée. Midge shows jealousy towards Scottie’s attraction to Judy, going as far as painting herself as Carlotta Valdes to pique his attention. The last time the audience sees Midge is after the detective is sent to a sanatorium in a catatonic state. She simply leaves down the hallway, disappearing from the story. Similarly,Gavin Elster’s fate as the main villain ofVertigois never explained. Did Gavin get away with murder? Was he arrested? Hitchcock leaves those puzzling questions up to the viewer.
In contrast,Vertigo’s alternate endingpaints a clearer picture of Midge and Gavin Elster’s futures, showing Scottie and Midge sharing a drink in her apartment while they listen to the radio detailing the pursuit of Gavin across Europe. These infamous plot holes have been analyzed and explored for decades by film historians, critics, directors, and fans alike. Despite the film’s rocky beginnings and flaws,Vertigoremains a critically acclaimed film, and will always beremembered for its innovative techniques, complex characters, and groundbreaking reputation in Hollywood.
