Creating the Visual Language of Fear - Essay Example

Vertigo, the 1958 film, illustrates psychological thriller concepts. Alfred Hitchcock directed and produced the film. The storyline of the film was derived from D'entre les morts, a novel authored by Boileau-Narcejac. Samuel Taylor and Alec Coppel developed the screenplay. The paper analyses the screenplay concepts that were applied in the film. Screenplay means telling a story through pictures, dialogue and description, so as to realize the dramatic effect. Vertigo proved very effective in illustrating the show against the tell features of a film.

The main star of the film is James Stewart, who acts as John Ferguson “Scottie” in the role of a former police detective. Scottie is coerced into early retirement due to a duty incident that made him develop acrophobia. Acrophobia is entailed very high fear levels of heights. Scottie also develops the vertigo effect, which is characterized by rotational motion and false sensation. Scottie is given the private investigator task by Gavin Elster, to monitor the strange behavior of his wife called Madeleine. The film applied effective techniques for screenplay development. One technique is the dolly zoom technique. Dolly zoom effect involves the in-camera effect which distorts perspective. The distortion aims at illustrating the disorientation effect that adequately communicates the acrophobia condition of Scottie (Sipos 76).

The story in the film is communicated through pictures. The rooftop chase that led to the policeman’s death explains the imagery effect of the acrophobia and vertigo effect. The image shows Scottie attempting to manage his fear; however, his friend Midge Woods identifies severe emotional shock as the most appropriate cure for his condition. The attempts to manage the acrophobia and vertigo effect aims at minimizing related accidents, traumas, fatalities and injuries, which arise from the condition.
The screenplay shows Scottie following Madeleine, his wife. Madeleine shows the physical and emotional characteristics of a person who is possessed. Scottie reluctantly follows Madeleine to the florist, then to Carlotta Valdes’ grave, and finally to the art museum to stare at the Portrait of Carlotta. The mysterious nature of Madeleine is further illustrated when Scottie fails to find her at the McKittrick Hotel. A local historian communicates that the image of Carlotta is mysterious because she committed suicide. Gavin illustrates that Carlotta is the issue possessing Madeleine, and also that Carlotta is the great-grandmother of Madeleine.

At the Mission San Juan Bautista Madeleine is seen climbing up the bell tower. Scottie tries to run after her, but he is slowed down due to the effects of vertigo. Thus, he observes Madeleine die, and the death is recorded as suicide. Read More