By Rodney Mansour

Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo is a film with many layers housed within. On the apparent surface we have a mystery story that is deceptively straight forward. This is the genius behind the film and why so many, for so long, have hailed it a masterpiece. Hitchcock’s command of cinematic storytelling shows his control of all elements; the script, acting, lighting, music and clearly the direction. It is his influence that helps elevate a simple story into an exploration of sexual obsession.

At the heart of the simple story is a longing for love. It is natural that we all long for love. In finding someone special the human experience somehow becomes heightened. When in love we develop awareness of the other. Truth, beauty and goodness materialize and we are naturally receptive to this. Rightfully so, we wish to consume these realities because they sustain life and tell us that there must be something greater. Human love is a sign that points to a higher reality. If a person, in the temporal order, can generate this within me then how can I not chase after it? How do I harness this phenomenon? As we grow and discover ourselves we learn what it is like to desire something irrationally but then to understand our feelings and join them to reason.

One of the great things about the Church is how it contemplates these realities and constantly asks the eternal question: what must I do with the freedom I have? If you love someone so much you order your life to it. You cut out anything that may violate or harm it. You work to ensure that its glory is always potent and alive. The reality is that we are finite beings who are frail and freedom can cost us in the pursuit of love. We are part animalistic in that our bodies need to be serviced accordingly then also spiritual because one can clearly ascend to higher truths. It seems that in humanity the two often battle it out. Sometimes our desires can be frightfully destructive as shown in Scottie’s pursuit of Madeline. Somewhere along the way something so beautiful can be so broken that only God, the author of beauty, can rightfully restore its dignity.

Vertigo causes me to reflect on these realities. Jimmy Stewart had a ‘nice guy’ image amongst cinema goers, perhaps the perennial ‘pushover’, so to watch him lose control and obsess over Kim Novak’s character is well against type and a unique sight to behold. He can’t let go. His desire for this woman that he loves dictates his behavior. He needs her as he believes only she can satisfy that longing in him. I see one of the many tragedies residing in the fact that this broken man has been manipulated. Others have conducted themselves in a sinful way and Scottie is on the receiving end. Suffering from vertigo makes it harder for him to roam freely. A condition like this puts him on the outskirts and serves as a reminder that we are truly imperfect. These are the cards he has been dealt. He never asked for it but sure enough the grace of God is real. These things happen but somehow they help Scottie face certain truths.

It is remarkable to watch him ascend the bell tower at the end as he conquers his fears by unraveling the gross deception that was done to him. He put all his energies into creating the ideal woman, the one who he is prepared to give of himself to. The danger of this is that in our search for love we can make idols of creatures and death is what will follow. This type of attachment cannot elevate one above the mediocre and the result is a lack of faith, hope and love. What Scottie wants from Madeline/Judy is not attainable. As creatures who love we are at the service of its presence. It is given to us and we act accordingly. If Scottie does get the girl the reality is that too much has happened and the relationship will be unsettled. Peace cannot dwell there. The film does an extraordinary job of conveying this. Their love is doomed. Where does one go once this reality comes home to our heart?

All in all, this film is a solid reminder of how movies can profoundly teach us about ourselves, no matter the story. Although, when it is in the hands of an expert film maker, you know you will keep returning to it, continuing to unpack its hidden truths and learning what it is to be human.