Why is vertigo the greatest movie

Vertigo, he continued, was "the ultimate critics' film". In a separate poll run by the monthly publication involving film directors, Ozu's Tokyo Story was voted the greatest film ever made. Citizen Kane is ranked at number two jointly with , while Vertigo occupies seventh place. The full results are published in Sight and Sound's September issue.

Vertigo: The best film ever? Citizen Kane tops critics' poll. The genius of Kane. Camera trick. Silent films. I've always been attracted in my own work to heroes motivated by obsession and on that level, Vertigo strikes a deep chord in me every time I see it.

Morality, decency, kindness, intelligence, wisdom -- all the qualities that we think heroes are supposed to possess -- desert Jimmy Stewart's character little by little, until he is left alone on that church tower with the bells tolling behind him and nothing to show but his humanity. Whole books could be written about so many individual aspects of Vertigo -- its extraordinary visual precision, which cuts like a razor to the soul of its characters; its many mysteries and moments of subtle poetry; its unsettling and exquisite use of color; its extra-ordinary performances by Stewart and Kim Novak -- whose work is so brave and emotionally immediate -- as well as the very underrated work of Barbara Bel Geddes.

And that's not to mention its astonishing title sequence by Saul Bass or its tragically beautiful score by Bernard Herrmann, both absolutely essential to the spirit, the functioning, and the power of Vertigo. Of course, we can now hear Herrmann's score with a clarity and breadth that it's never had before, thanks to Bob Harris and Jim Katz, the men who worked on the beautiful, painstaking restoration of Vertigo.

I'm happy that the Film Foundation was able to play a part in making this important work possible. Rear Window, a victim of a number of movies joining the list and a few others moving up, descended six spots to North by Northwest was a victim of the same, dropping below Rear Window to His chilling monotone voice, his expressive eyes, and his chilling grin all highlight a scarier and subtler Jimmy Stewart.

As the scorned lover, Stewart must show how his obsession has become something greater: a desire for revenge. In a performance that requires her to be both alluring and aloof in equal degrees, Novak is ravishing and sexy and, ultimately, heartbreaking.

Often, the sexiest performances are those that call the least attention to their sexiness. Though Kim Novak is classically beautiful, the role requires her not to showcase it overtly, but nonetheless understand the magnetism she naturally exudes. Especially in her first few scenes as Judy, when she must repeatedly rebuff the advances of Scottie by making allusions to the way men have treated her throughout her life, Novak portrays the grit and innocence of the character in a way that makes viewers want to protect her while simultaneously understanding that she can absolutely take care of herself.

Likewise, early in the film, she must appeal to Scottie and the audience in scenes where she simply sits there, staring, or walks stoically through gardens or on the street. Hitchcock understood that she would demand attention simply by being there. Scottie sees her as a heartless vixen and the audience can understand the excessive infatuation that she inspires because they feel it too. The brilliant and eerie camera work and lighting.

Hitchcock is known for having created new camera techniques and shots with his DPs throughout the years. Hitchcock and Burks also make use of green lighting to suggest a bit of an off-kilter feel for scenes. The color green can represent many things: nature, fertility, ambition, greed, and jealousy. For both she and Scottie, this is an unbelievable turn of events.

Not only that, but it will soon sour. With the camera work and the lighting, the audience is kept on its toes, wondering when the other shoe will drop. It has served as the inspiration for countless other composers. It has to evoke both the romance and the obsession and the confusion of Vertigo and manages to do all three and more, often at the same time. The movie is full of scenes where characters are simply watching other characters or riding in cars together or walking.

Two specific car-driving scenes highlight this especially well. The music is so nimble that it can be all things at once. Love a lot of Hitchcock. But for me vertigo stands out amongst all the rest. Vertigo 2. Psycho 3. Rear Window 4. Rope 5.