1. Analysis for Essay - Vertigo (Updated)
Sound Opening credits - Unsettling eerie score
Visual metaphors - twisted minds/ confusion associated with eerie colours
red eye - danger
Scene One
Close up chase sequence - match on action at night (dark) san francisco
unsettling music
Vertigo effect - push out effect first used birds eye view of death
Non linear narrative
Scene Two
light, colourful - provides contrast
Different score - happy upbeat
symbol - walking stick
Vertigo - agrophobia - fear of heights fear of leaving the house
Engaged for three weeks - background history (meg and scotty) meg is scottys friend
match on action of stepladder symbolism for fear of falling
high angle shot of meg symbolises respect for her
Scene Three
establishing shot sets scene (construction)
mise en scene, luxurious (leather chairs, paintings, mahogany desks etc)
introduction of new character
Paper told him he quit the force
not an alcoholic - doesn't like drinking (scotty)
scotty - not married, no college friends , lonely
high angle - dominant character wants scotty to stalk wife, get back in the detective game
wife has amnesia, wanders and forgets about it. He wants to know where she goes (may be lying)
suspects cheating or suspicious activity
Scene Four
tracking shot / establishing of restaurant
colour - lots of red
score mysterious/sad introduction of the wife,madeliene madeliene is in green against the red
background - provides contrast (miss en scene) soft lighting on madrilenes face, harsh lighting on
scottys face (contrast) amourous music
Scene Five
establishing shot tilt shot of apartment building, shows height
car is also green (matching outfit) tracking shot - in stalking sequence back and forth of car and
reaction shots of scotty
Scene Six
madeline wears grey suit - contrast of beauty and vague ness
low key lighting in restaurant
chiaroscuro lighting - light and dark contrast between madeliene and scotty (high key and low key)
binary opposites - light vs dark
flowers contrast with grey suit - contrast and highlighting beauty
pov shots of madeline, highlights stalking natural lighting (outside)
tracking shot to door shadow as he walks in - chiaroscuro low angle shots of scotty as he walks
outside - suggests dominance tracking point of view shots - highlights stalking

2. VOYEURISM - spying on madeline in awkward angles auteur -
Style of director (hitchcock -> obsession with blondes, voyeurism)
close up of carlotta gravestone
POV shot of scotty looking at her in gallery tracking shot of scotty looking at paintings close up of
scotty looking at paintings tracking shot of him leaving
POV shot tracking of scotty driving car tilt to low angle shot of scotty,
tracking shot of scotty walking shot through window of madeline undressing - adds to stalking
atmosphere
match on action of walking through door inquisitive language, interrogation like. staircase shot, low
angle and high angle shot of them cross cutting between dialogue establishing shot of book shop
book shop owner telling story, low angle shots of scotty telling story of madness, woman stabbing
people shouting "where is my child" scene scotty dropped off meg -> won't tell meg who he is
stalking. Meg is jealous of made lines beauty and runs off upset, sparks interest in scotty scotty
looks at picture of madeline, stalkerish scene glasses guy tells scotty he could lose his job,
continuity editing no cross cutting glasses guy tells another story, child taken from mother and
grandmother went insane and killed herself.
Miscellaneous Notes to remember:
soft lighting - evening scene POV shots of driving continued establishing shot of luxurious home/
hotel over shoulder wide shot of scotty watching madeline
scene tracking shot of waves crashing against hip - driving shot indicates transport to san francisco
bridge (establishing wide shot) symbolism - madeline dropping flowers in the sae one at a time
then all at once madeline jumps in, unconscious - scotty jumps in and saves her scene panning
shows madeline in his bed madeline wakes up to sound of telephone, naked madeline in red robe -
danger scotty tells her to come over by the fire tracking shot of them walking, mid shot she doesn't
remember falling into the bay but remembers location thinks she must have had a busy spell and
fainted (and thanks him for fire interrogates on location - creepy high angle shot of madeline by
fire, low angle of scotty she has never been inside the art gallery introduces herself as madeline,
he introduces himself as john foster (scotty) won't specify what he does as a job asks her if she
has ever fallen into san francisco bay before
hitchcock - he's green and she's red (green/envious, greed, earthly)(red/danger, beauty,
caution, death, WARNING SIGN)
grabs her hand, they have a moment phone rings to end the moment low angle shot of him on
telephone, symbolises control scene point of view again through car close up of scotty driving
stalking car (green) obsession (POV shots repeated throughout) Red door - Warning sign (danger)
tracking shot of scotty walking confronts Madeline, asks about sudden disappearance Madeline -
dominant (low angle shot)
Scotty - high angle shot scotty follows her to car - offers coffee a lot (symbolises obsession)
establishing shot of mountains - isolation/suspenseful building suspense Madeline and Scotty -
walk into forest wide shot - darkness redwood forest - red (danger) trees tower over, showing
insignificance wide shot Symbol - insignificance shown by rings on tree - thriller convention (maze-
like symbols) madeline walks off eerie score tracking shot of trees builds suspense tracking shot
of scotty walking mental instability of scotty madeline walks towards rocky beach, waves crashing -
symbolises uncontrollable force and dangerous -> scotty afraid of heights and madeline is always
in deep places (she doesn't like depth (symbolism)) and symbolises hidden meanings under the
surface binary opposites of colours between characters - Madeline wears white coat and scotty
wears dark suit she dreams of corridors with death at the end, and graves and gravestones, a
tower and a bell in spain she thinks she's mad, somethings wrong with her
they kiss - waves crashing in the background - symbolism of loss of control, lustful ignorance
scene scotty wears red suit. Meg also wears red. Meg wants to know what scotty is up to, offers

3. him dinner and drinks offers him painting of her, wearing dress with flowers. -> scotty associates
flowers with madeline and leaves, disturbed. Meg is upset scene dark apartment, dark colours
brown and blue and grey. high angle of scotty, low angle of madeline scotty wears red tie madeline
wears blue coat she's sitting and he is standing up - he's swayed to her side, blue coat and blue
shades/lampshades. Madeline had another dream, - walked to the church darkness pulled in.
scene birds-eye establishing shot of car driving, long winding road two shot of madeline and scotty
in car tracking shot scene panning shot of villa house things tilt shot of stable reveals two shot of
madeline and scotty again she is wearing gee suit, he is wearing black madeline is confused, can't
remember when she was here. scotty is obsessed "try, try for me" kiss shot again - eyes open
madeline says its too late they confessed love for each other he is pushing himself on her, she
runs off, saying its too late.
They talk again, she wants to enter church alone. Spooky music, madeline runs up stairs (low
angle shot) and scotty (high angle shot) to commit suicide. (stairs represent his mind), vertigo
effect again Madeline jumps of stairs and dies, commits suicide. Scotty faces obvious distress and
starts walking down stairs, noticing nuns approaching people go to recover madeline oblivious of
scotty, scotty exits other side of building scene wide shot of people in court. scotty not guilty, but
judges mentions fact that scotty knew of her suicidal tendencies and did not report them. Shifty
looks from men. Husband talks to scotty, says he is sorry he involved scotty in their troubles. eerie
music - score