The shot being referred to throughout this essay is that between 01:42:05 and 01:44:17 of Hitchcock’s psychological thriller film Vertigo. Before this shot takes place, we ,along with John ‘Scottie’ Ferguson, have been lead to believe that Madeline Elster committed suicide, jumping out of the church bell tower at Mission San Juan Bautista. In the time following the suicide, Scottie becomes emotionally unstable and blames Madeline death on himself, his acrophobia holding his back from climbing the stairs to stop her from jumping. During this time, he is constantly reminded of her in his everyday life until one day his eye is caught by a woman who reminds him of Madeline, despite their difference in appearance and follows her up to her apartment
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We are told from Madeline’s point of view this time, one of the only points in the film where we are not viewing from Scottie’s perspective. This new level of tension is reached as we now know whatScottie is oblivious to and we are left with the suspense of waiting to see what happens if he finds out who “Madeline” really is, or if he ever does. This shot call for the audience for sympathy for Judy while she writes the letter, not as much about her role in the murder, but sympathy for her admitted love for Scottie. We know that since the murder, (or to him, suicide) Scottie has not been emotionally stable, and after catching sight of Judy, we can see how his obsession will take over and he will only see Judy as Madeline. Through the small paid to the second part of the monologue we can send that Madeline knows Scottie will not treat her as who she is, but this does not prepare her, or the audience, for Scottie to try and morph Judy into Madeline. This is why we are given this shot; it gives greater context and suspense. It is as if we are in on this secret that only Judy and us know. When Scottie gets Judy to change her mannerisms and appearance, we can see Judy’s internal struggle with wanting to be the real her with Scottie. Judy Knows it was her Scottie fell in love with, but Scottie is only focusing of the image that he fell in love with, Madeline’s appearance. Without this shot, Judy’s character would not have been as deep or
We are told from Madeline’s point of view this time, one of the only points in the film where we are not viewing from Scottie’s perspective. This new level of tension is reached as we now know whatScottie is oblivious to and we are left with the suspense of waiting to see what happens if he finds out who “Madeline” really is, or if he ever does. This shot call for the audience for sympathy for Judy while she writes the letter, not as much about her role in the murder, but sympathy for her admitted love for Scottie. We know that since the murder, (or to him, suicide) Scottie has not been emotionally stable, and after catching sight of Judy, we can see how his obsession will take over and he will only see Judy as Madeline. Through the small paid to the second part of the monologue we can send that Madeline knows Scottie will not treat her as who she is, but this does not prepare her, or the audience, for Scottie to try and morph Judy into Madeline. This is why we are given this shot; it gives greater context and suspense. It is as if we are in on this secret that only Judy and us know. When Scottie gets Judy to change her mannerisms and appearance, we can see Judy’s internal struggle with wanting to be the real her with Scottie. Judy Knows it was her Scottie fell in love with, but Scottie is only focusing of the image that he fell in love with, Madeline’s appearance. Without this shot, Judy’s character would not have been as deep or