Furthermore, both films feature characters who use detective skills to resolve the problem. For instance, in “Vertigo”, Scottie is the seen as guilty for Madeline’s death. He is deceived by his own friend and the lady he loved. When he sees Eva, he observes her moves. As he sees Madeline’s pendent in Eva’s neck, he becomes certain that he was deceived and reveals the truth by taking her to church. Not only in “Vertigo”, “North by Northwest” also has a character who uses detective skills to prove himself not guilty. In this movie, police accused Mr. Thornhill to be the murderer of Kaplan, and Vandamm mistaken him for George Kaplan, a government agent. Mr. Thornhill’s life was in danger from police and villain. Then, he uses detective skills …show more content…
to save his own life and a detective agent’s (Eva) life. He faked his death in front of Vandamm so he could trust Eva. Later, he gathers information about the Vandamm and save Eva’s life from Vandamm. Therefore, both stories were resolved by a character who used detective skills. Lastly, both films effectively use music to create suspense by indicating danger.
For instance, in “Vertigo”, same tone of music appears many times throughout the movie, which is called Motif. For example, music tone appeared in beginning, when Scottie is dreaming, and police officer falls from top of the building while trying to help Scottie to climb up. Later, same music was heard when Madeleine Elster jumps into the San Francisco bay. Then again same music is heard when Scottie can’t climb up the stairs and Madeleine dies. Even at the end, this music came up as Scottie takes Judy to the top of the church building after knowing that Judy was deceiving him as Madeleine Elster. One thing I found in all the scenes that Hitchcock used Motif represented life danger. Similarly, “North by Northwest”, uses Motif, same music throughout the movie to specify danger. First, music is heard when two men kidnaps Mr. Thornhill and take him to the car. Then, it appeared when Thornhill was driving drunk and had no control over his vehicle. Later, same music is heard when Thornhill walks to Mr. Laster’s office to meet him, and after some while Mr. Laster gets murdered. As the people assume Thornhill to be the murder, same music is played. As I analyzed this movie, I realized all these scenes indicated danger. Therefore, this music is an added effect to help build suspense for audience. Indeed, it is very successful technique to make the audience more engaging in the story and trigger certain emotions to
audience. Indeed, Hitchcock used many similar techniques to provoke audience’s emotions and create suspense. Such as, he uses creative camerawork and Motif to indicate danger. He successfully uses Kuleshov effect to manipulate audience’s emotions. Also, he uses Cameo to build audience interest, and he bases his both stories on McGuffins. Moreover, he presents characters who uses detective skills to resolve problems. These are only few of many techniques that Hitchcock uses in his movies. His movies can be analyzed more to find more similarities such as transference of guilt from one character to another. such as both stories has a protagonist blamed for someone death, and they had to use detective skills to prove themselves not guilty. Another tactic that Hitchcock uses and I did not mention in this essay is useless police. Both protagonists had to reveal truth by themselves without the help of police. One significant difference between the films editing was coloring. Hitchcock uses certain colors to represent each character in “Vertigo”, but he didn’t use same technique in “North by Northwest”. Therefore, both movies has many similarities and differences which make them unique in their own way, and interesting for audience to watch.
Though complex and brilliantly written for its time, the plot of Alfred Hitchcock’s film, Vertigo, is only half of the genius behind it. Alfred Hitchcock’s unique presence as an auteur is truly what sets his films apart. There is symmetry to his shots that give the film an artistic feel, as if each frame were a painting. Many times, within this symmetry, Hitchcock places the characters in the center of the frame; or if not centered, then balanced by whatever else is adding density to the shot. For example, as Madeline sits and looks at the painting in the museum, there is a balance within the frame. To counter-act her position to the right of the painting, Hitchcock puts a chair and another painting on the left side, which is visually pleasing to the eye of the audience. The use of red and green not only adds a visual effect as well, but later serves as a clue that Madeline is not actually dead, when the women who looks like her is wearing a green dress.
In order to suit his needs Hitchcock transports the locale of Vertigo (1958) to the most vertical San Francisco city where the vertiginous geometry of the place entirely threatens verticality itself. The city with its steep hills, sudden rises and falls, of high climbs, dizzying drops is most appropriate for the vertiginous circularity of the film. The city is poised between a romantic Victorian past and the rush of present day life. We were able to see the wild chase of Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) in search for the elusive Madeleine Elster (Kim Novak) and the ghost who haunts her, Carlotta Valdes in such spots as the Palace of the Legion of Honor, the underside of the Golden Gate Bridge at Fort Point, the Mission Dolores, Ernie’s restaurant,
One of the techniques used to promote fear and suspense into the audience is the use of the music. This technique makes the audience afraid of the shark, whenever the theme song is played the audience is to expect another horrific attack from the deadly shark, which adds a lot of suspense and build-up to the scences following. Spielberg uses this particular sound to build-up the scene, such as in the beginning when the shark attacks the girl swimming. Spielberg uses this non-diegetic sound which is only heard by the audience, not by any of the characters in the film. A non-diegetic sound defined by film sound says, a sound neither visible on the screen nor has been implied to be prese...
One major attribute in Hitchcock films is how creatively Hitchcock tricks the audience about the fate of the characters and the sequence of events. Many people argue that it is a tactic by Hitchcock to surprise his audience in order to increase the suspense of the movie. For example, in Shadow of a Doubt, the audience assumes that young Charlie is an innocent young girl who loves her uncle dearly. However as the movie progresses, Young Charlie is not as innocent as the audience suspects. Young Charlie, once a guiltless child, ends up killing her evil uncle. In Vertigo, the same Hitchcock trickery takes place. In the beginning, the audience has the impression that the Blond women is possessed by another woman who is trying to kill her. The audience also has the notion that the detective is a happy man who will solve the murder case correctly. Just before the movie ends, the audience realizes that the detective was specifically hired by a man to kill his wife. The detective, in the end, seems to be the hopeless, sad victim.
Vertigo boasted several different themes. However, the “Ideal Woman – Lost” theme was the most prevalent (“Handout #1”). This theme was brought on by an obsessed “everyman” type. Jimmy Stewart, otherwise known as Scottie in the film, played this “everyman” type whose personality was maliciously twisted into an overly obsessive man. His cause for obsession was a beautiful, young woman played by Kim Novak, known as both Madeleine and Judy in the film. Madeleine drew Scottie in so deep, that he literally became a different person. This film mirrored Hitchcock’s personal feelings and was considered to be his favorite film.
The films musical score alerts the viewer to an approaching attack of the shark and they automatically build this association with the music in their mind. Horror films often make use of high string instrument notes that irritate viewers and increase tension. Music plays an important role in film editing and the editor must choose its placement wisely to ensure its intended effect on the viewer’s mind and
Hitchcock Vertigo stars James Stewart as Scottie, a retired detective, and Kim Novak as Judy Barton, who gets disguised as Madeleine, a woman hired by Scottie's friend to act as his wife in order to frame Scottie. The story takes place in San Francisco in the 1950's. The film opens on a high building, where officer Scottie and his partner are in pursuit of a suspect. Scottie's partner's life is on the line, and only he can save him. Unfortunately, he has vertigo, a fear of heights.
The narrative of Vertigo tells a plot twisted story of mystery and suspense as the main character “Scottie” (James Stuart), a retired detective suffer...
Vertigo is an Alfred Hitchcock film that was made in 1958. It stars James Stewart as Detective John Ferguson and Kim Novak as Madeleine Ellester and Judy Barden. In Vertigo, John Ferguson has a fear of heights that results in the death of his partner. Due to this situation, he leaves the police force and became a Private Investigator. Ferguson is contact by Gavin Ellester an old college buddy. Gavin asks Ferguson to follow his wife who he believes has gone mad. Gavin believes his wife Madeleine is being possessed by her great grandmother Corlata Valdez. He explains why he has come to this conclusion and fills John Ferguson in on all the details of the case. Mr. Ferguson questions the integrity of the story, but still accepts the case. When he starts to spy on Madeleine, he begins to notice changes in her personality and similarities to Corlata Valdez's past.
Generally, when the characters are at different places, the music can remind the audience of that place since the composer uses lots of traditional and local instruments at scenes that are associated with different cultures and countries. Those special instrumentations go along
Vertigo and Its Treatment In our everyday lives, we almost take for granted this idea of balance or equilibrium that is maintained within our bodies. In general, no real thought processes are required. It is only when something is disturbed within our balance system that one is able to take notice of changes in the equilibrium. There may be several different factors that cause a disturbance to our bodies.
The film Vertigo, produced by Alfred Hitchcock, demonstrates parallels that tie into modern day movies in the same manner as The Matrix, produced by Joel Silver. Although Vertigo results in fatalities and mourning over loved ones, The Matrix ends in a much more pleasant tone. Together, these movies attempt to convey an illustration about human nature’s desire for control. Not only does The Matrix parallel Vertigo in regards to desire, but in addition to an obsession that altered the main character’s state of mind. An observation about human nature extracted from both films in regard to desire is their constant need for control and uncover the mysteries of life.
In the film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, every time there was a close up of Augustus Gloop in the candy room, sinister music would play. This foreshadowed that something bad was going to happen to him in that room. It puts the viewer on edge and creates a mood of suspense because they don’t know what is going to happen. He also uses music to foreshadow events in the movie Edward Scissorhands. Every time Edward saw Kim happy, angelic music would play which foreshadowed that something would happen between them and also gave you a hint about his feelings towards her. Burton used music to show foreshadowing in the movie Dark Shadows as well. When Josette was walking toward the edge of the cliff suspenseful music played create a mood of suspense and fear that Barnabas wouldn’t make it in time and she would fall to her death. One of the many other cinematic techniques Burton often uses in his films is using lighting and color to show
Different from other types of films, the music in Phantom of the Opera was used by all the characters, as a way to tell their part of the story. The music created a convincing surrounding for the film, guided the audiences. The music was constantly a signifier of emotion, as the characters expressed their feelings through the songs. The music score was an emotional and scary score that tied into their diegetic/non-diegetic singing, giving the main characters an identity, specifying situations and places to help connect certain points. When we hear the dark music play throughout the movie, it plays a certain theme, that theme gives the viewers a clear hint of who or what the music is talking about. Another example of signifier of emotion was in The Devil Wears Prada, where the film used either fast upbeat songs for when Andy walks all around the city, running errands for Miranda, or romantic alternative music when Andy is with her boyfriend and true friends (The Phantom of the Opera/The Devil Wears
There are thousands of movie composers in the music industry, a few who triumph and whose work is well known to almost half of the world. One example of that can be the famous Maestro John Williams. John Williams is the musician for Jaws, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Jurassic Park, E.T and lots more. But there is a piece which everyone recognizes, and that is the theme from the movie Jaws. Imagine Jaws without the music. People would not feel scared; they would laugh at the plastic shark. And that is why music is one of the most important elements in cinema. John Williams in a late interview said this: “The music is part of a whole, which if I try as a composer to take that part of the whole, like in a concerto. I would not succeed, because the attention would go only for the music and not for the picture” (John Williams Interview). In Jaws, the music blends with the picture and acting; there are no imbalances. The picture and the music need to be in perfect harmony. Therefore, in Jaws, every time the daring melody comes out; the audience knows something bad is going to happen, and the music may anticipate a particular situation, but without the music overpowering the actors and sound effects.