★★★★★★★☆☆☆
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
I know this is blasphemy, but I’m gonna say it anyway: Vertigo isn’t a masterpiece. It could’ve been a masterpiece — it had the makings of one — but the flashback broke the movie. Whether Madeleine was being possessed by the spirit of Carlotta or not; whether Judy and Madeleine were one and the same or not; whether Scottie’s deduction at the end was accurate or the delusions of a man gone off the deep end — all should’ve been left unanswered and ambiguous.
Also, Madeleine was as pretty as a rainbow, and about as charismatic as a rainbow trout. Why Scottie chose her over Midge, a zesty woman with actual personality, I’ll never understand. Guess he prefers to rob the cradle of love.
Finally, that ending — it’s so abrupt, it’s almost comical.
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
★★★★★★★★☆☆
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
★★★★★★★★☆☆