My Own Perception:
I thought this movie was interesting. It was funny how similar it was to the film "Laura", where a detective falls in love with a dead woman.
As far as Jimmy Stewart's character, I found the way he showed his obsession with the dead Madeleine to be unique. He literally has to have Judy (who he doesn't know is Madeleine) to look the exact same way, to wear the same clothes, to have the same hair. He needs to recreate everything in his mind to figure out where he went wrong.
Midge, i feel, is the girl that used to be in love with Scottie and can't get over him. They are close friends, but Scottie doesn't see her like that. When Scottie goes crazy, i felt like Midge tried to move in on him, almost trying to take advantage of his trauma.
Madeleine/Judy just frustrates me. If she were really in love with Scottie, i think she could have ran away with him.
Class Discussion:
The point made in class about Midge going back to Scottie after Madeleine dies because she can't lose him to Madeleine is a great point. I think Midge was jealous and thought that Madeleine stole him from her. Once Madeleine died, Midge was able to have Scottie all to herself again.
Reading:
The article "Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema" was, in my opinion, over the top. I honestly don't compare any sexual feelings or Freudian ideas when i am watching narrative films. I do sort of agree that there is an obsession with an image, for instance a stunningly beautiful woman on the screen or a vibrant world like Pandora in the film "Avatar". Other that finding things visually appealing, I don't sexually crave a woman who is on the screen.
I do agree that i identify with the male protagonist in films, for the most part. I identify with the male and look at the female as the object.
Also, i think it was interesting the way Hitchcock does make us see everything the way that Scottie is seeing it. We objectify Madeleine and view everything as a voyeur. We feel like we almost shouldn't be watching, but we can't stop. In that way the point about fetishism makes sense to me, but in no other way than that.
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I agree with you on the terms of Hitchcock making Vertigo an entirely voyeurisitc experience. I felt like we were seeing something not meant to be seen and it felt like watching a trainwreck, you just can't look away.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I did agree with the view of the article. Though it may sound outrageous, I think that we are all subconsciously divided as such. We may not realize it or even agree with it but the actions in Vertigo help prove Mulvey's point. From the opening credits where we are given close ups on a terrfied woman's face to the idea of stalking someone to "protect" them or the climactic makeover sequence where John forces Judy to become Madeleine.
I felt bad for Midge. This movie seemed to have a slew of ridiculous charcter archs. John's character slowly descends into madness, Judy isn't even playing herself and Midge seemed like a somewhat decent confidant and level headed character until she pulled that shenanigan with the creepy picture. However, even if she is in love with John then she does accept her fate when she admits to the doctor that it is an unfortunate handicap that John is in love with a dead woman. Her character was unfortunately uneven.
Two excellent points: we definitely see everything from Scottie's viewpoint not only from a narrative plot perspective but also with the use of the camera to get inside his head and literally see what he is seeing. It is easy to see what the article is talking about with identifying with the male protagonist and viewing the female as an object, since we are his minds eye and he is viewing this woman so obsessively.
ReplyDeleteSecond, the creepy and perverse sort of atmosphere the movie creates as we see how crazy and sick Scottie has become really does make it a voyeuristic type of view. Its uncomfortable and unpleasant, but it captures your attention and drags you in in a most profound and interesting way.
Really good comments!
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, it's not so much that you feel sexual about the characters onscreen. Scopophilia is about pleasure in watching--rooted in sexuality, but not the same thing exactly. And yeah, something about the way Hitchcock made this really does make me feel like I'm watching something I shouldn't be, and can't look away.