Vertigo

When the name Alfred Hitchcock is dropped, people immediately think suspenseful. Certainly the name is synonymous with thrillers, films that keep you on the edge of your seat right to the last moment. Hitchcock's 1958 thriller Vertigo does not disappoint. A masterfully done film, Vertigo captures the audience's attention from the strange but artsy introduction right to the final moments.

At first, this movie was truly astounding. I was captivated by the intricate, complicated story, which kept me guessing. A truly amazing thing is the fact that despite revealing the twist in the middle of the movie, Hitchcock is able to keep the story going, and for quite some time. At first you believe that Vertigo really is about the mysterious actions of Madeleine Elster and Scottie's determination to uncover the truth. But as the movie progresses past Madeleine's demise, you realize that it is truly about Scottie, and his personal battle to let go. At the beginning, when his partner falls to his death, Scottie cannot let go of the feeling that it is his fault, and that his fear of heights is the cause. He is so consumed and burdened by the guilt that he leaves his post as a detective within the police force. Later, when Madeleine similarly falls to her death, Scottie cannot forget and move on. Rather, he spends his days searching for a new Madeleine, one who can fill the void in his heart that her death brought on.

However, when I reached the end of the movie, I was shocked and disappointed. Not only did the ending make no sense, it was too sudden and swift an ending for a movie that had been so good thus far. First of all, what on earth did Judy think was happening that scared her so much? Nowhere perviously was it established that Judy was scared or feared for her life, except maybe at the end when Scottie was scaring her by roughly questioning her. Yet, a vague, shadowy figure (that clearly resembles a nun) frightens Judy enough for her to fall to her death, without a thought. It just doesn't make sense.

This got me thinking about the movie some more, and I discovered that I had problems with the plot. For one thing, when Judy, playing as Madeleine, went to the hotel, Scottie followed in right after her. But the hotel keeper said she hadn't seen anybody, and when Scottie looks out the window, Madeleine's car is gone. How Madeleine got in and out of the hotel without the hotel keeper or Scottie knowing is never explained. At the time it didn't seem odd, because you're wondering just how real Madeleine is. But when it is revealed that Judy was simply playing Madeleine, this little detail is simply glossed over. As well, if Judy truly fell in love with Scottie when playing Madeleine, why didn't she tell him exactly what was going on? At the end of the movie, Judy tells Scottie that she ran away from him and up those steps to stop the murder from taking place. Really? Why not tell Scottie what was going on before she led him to that town? I mean, she knew that the murder was going to take place there and then, so why not clue him in and have the police brought to the scene?

I know, there are answers to that last query. Scottie still thought she was crazy, or she loved him but also loved Elster, or even she didn't have the guts to try and stop Elster until the very last moment. The most obvious answer, I suppose, is that it wouldn't be much of a movie if Elster had been stopped. But that doesn't stop me from being disappointed in the plot.

That being said, the movie was still well done. Cinematically, the shots were incredible, especially the shot of Madeleine driving along the water with Scottie following her. The scene is so wonderfully filmed, with the wide shot of both cars driving around a bend, that it makes you forget about the movie for a second and forces you to ponder the art behind it. Truly, Vertigo was shaped up to be one of my favorite movies until that ridiculous end, but, I can't have everything I suppose. C'est la vie.

La Regle Du Jeu

"The awful thing about life is this: everybody has their reasons." 

And so seems to be the central point of Jean Renoir's classic film, Le Regle Du Jeu. A critique of the bourgeoisie in pre-WWII France, this film spares no expense at ridiculing upper-class french society. As World War II looms on the horizon, and the threat of Hitler is very real, Christine le Chesnaye is concerned only with the men in her life, and which affairs mean the most to her. Yet Christine is not the only one; her husband Robert and her maid Lisette also carry on extra-marital affairs which seem to lead to nothing but trouble. But each character, for their own reasons, prefers to think only of themselves.

The film begins as what seems to be a comedy of manners. Andre loves Christine, who might love Andre, Octave, or Robert, who loves Christine or Genevieve. And then there's Lisette, who seems to carry on with anyone but her husband. What is most interesting about these affairs is the difference in reaction between those of the upper-class and those of the working class. Christine and Andre, though each saddened by the affairs the other carries on, treat them lightly, and without much seriousness. There seem to be an unspoken set of rules that cannot be broken, rules that allow affairs which are conducted correctly. However, in Lisette's case, her husband Schumacher gets very angry about her affairs, and is not afraid to express his disapproval. In the party near the end of the movie, a stark contrast is shown between Schumacher's reaction and Robert/Andre's reaction. While Schumacher chases Marceau, Lisette's lover, around the house with a gun to defend his wife's honor, Andre and Robert simply argue about who loves Christine more. Though they exchange a few blows, this seems more brought on by their drunkenness than a true desire to defend Christine. What's more, at the end Christine cannot chose between Octave, Andre, and Robert, and decides to settle for the one who is the most daring. It has nothing to with love; Christine simply wants adventure, and is only interested in these men as long as they can give that to her. Lisette, though a member of the working class, seems to align her relationship morals with those of Christine. Lisette seems to represent the portion of french society that looks up to the upper-class whereas Schumacher represents the portion that is grounded more in reality. 

Besides the story itself, La Regle Du Jeu also makes interesting use of camerawork. In particular, the hunting scene makes use of peculiar editing, specifically fast cuts. In the scene, several animals are shown being shot as they flee from the hunters. The filming of this scene take a good five minutes of the movie, switching from rabbit to bird to rabbit in rapid succession. The point of the scene seems to be to imply the excessiveness of the bourgeois and their tendency for waste without care. Another interesting scene is the one in which Schumacher chases Marceau around the hunting lodge with a gun. There are long periods in which the camera follows the two without cutting to a different shot. This creates a sort of verisimilitude of  space because it allows us to see several rooms of the mansion. 

Though a very engaging film, it is certainly not without faults. The biggest fault seems to be a discrepancy between the tones at the beginning and the end of the film. The majority of the film is fairly light-hearted and comedic in nature. Though there are undertones of dramatic elements, it is outwardly portrayed as humorous. However, things take a very serious, very dramatic turn when Schumacher, in a fit of jealousy, shoots Andre. It happens very quickly, but the change in tone goes from light to dark at the drop of a hat. And before the audience has time to perceive this change and adjust, the movie is over. To be fair, there is a very important statement in the shooting of Andre and the cover-up of the truth. One of the "rules of the game" is that saving face is more important than anything else. Christine and Robert, as members of high society, would rather claim that Andre was mistaken for a poacher than reveal that Christine was going to elope with a lover. However, while this point is in conjunction with the theme of the rest of the movie- the ridiculous rules of upper-class society- the change in tone is too quick and results in it being very awkward. 

All in all, La Regle Du Jeu is certainly a film worth watching. And truly, Octave said it best. The awful thing about life is that everybody has their reasons. 

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

When I think of silent-era films, I think of... well, I mostly just think of Birth of a Nation, because I don't really know that many silent films. I certainly don't think of a thrilling plot or clear artistic expression. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari definitely changed my viewpoint. With its expressionist backdrop and plot reminiscent of Shutter Island, this movie really captivated my attention. 

First and foremost, the story was great. It kept me guessing the whole way through, and provided a new twist at every turn. Just when it seemed that the plot was resolved, the movie took a whole new turn that threw everything out of balance. If it truly is the first twist-ending ever, it certainly set the standard for twist-endings in films. 

Second, the setting was spectacular. At first, I thought it just looked stupid. The doors were weird and slanted, and the decor of many of the places in Holstenwall were just overall strange. But once it was revealed- Spoiler Alert!- that it was all a dream, it made much more sense. From an artistic viewpoint, the bizarre backdrop reinforced just how insane Francis truly was, and added to the eccentricity of the whole story. 

Finally, I really liked what Weine did with limited camera movement, especially when the scenery in the shot was the fair. By keeping the moving carousel in the background, the monkey in the forefront, and people walking through rather than just standing around and filling the scene, Weine really generated the sense of a fun-filled fair. As well, when the murderer visits Alan in the night, the use of shadow to portray the murder really contributed to the sense of mystery.

All in all, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari was very enjoyable and fairly riveting. I can only imagine how the movie would turn out if made in modern times, with the technology available today.