Watched 'Vertigo', and although the film may not be thought of as Hitchcock's definitive masterpiece, I certainly think it's his most honest.
sgt.null wrote:I loved looking for his cameos. Lifeboat was a weight loss ad, I think?
I'd always wondered if his cameo's gave some insight into the stories but could never see how the ideas were put into action. However, in 'Vertigo', Hitchcock is seen walking along the street carrying a trumpet case, so, was pleasantly surprised to hear trumpets used as a way to cue certain actions that would otherwise not have made it past the censorship codes of 1958.
In other words, the direction given to Bernard Herrmann on how the film was scored gives us an insight into where, when, and why, Jimmy Stewart gets the horn for Kim Novak.
This obviousness, or honesty, can also be seen in the distance through Jimmy Stewart's apartment window - the Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco - which looks like a big nob. But, if seen up close, looks more like the bell tower at the Mission San Juan Bautista, where the film ends.
Hitchcock was never without a sense of humour -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillie_Hitchcock_Coit
Although the film is a 'gumshoe murder mystery' this obvious use of certain structural imagery provides a very rich and detailed psychological profile of the characters involved. Which is by far much more fascinating.