Vertigo 1958
directed by Alfred Hitchcock* Glasses used to show the character is outside the situation
As discussed in pervious posts, Alfred Hitchcock loves glasses. He loved the notion of love "beautifying" a woman, which he used in the movies Suspicion and Spellbound, but also he like how glasses visually makes the character removed from the drama that is going on. As if the character is more of a spectator. Vertigo is more along the theme of the latter. Unlike Suspicion and Spellbound, Vertigo has a lead character that wears glasses throughout the movie. Yes a female character that wears glasses THROUGH THE ENTIRE MOVIE. no taking them off because she is in love, she wears them every time you see her.
Midge played by Barbara Bel Geddes is an old friend of the lead Scottie played by Jimmy Stewart. The premise ; Scottie who is a recently retired policeman, is struggling with is new found fear of heights. An accident on the job gave him this anxiety. An old acquaintance Gavin Elster called up Scottie to do some private detective work. Scottie retired and unemployed took the job of fallowing Gavin's wife Madeleine (played by Kim Novak). Madeleine is not being fallowed because she may be having an affair. She is being fallowed because as her husband says, acting weird.
Supposedly Madeleine will go into a trance, become depressed, and perhaps may hurt herself. Scottie as the detective work goes on, gets enthralled with Madeleine and all the spookiness that goes along with her. Midge becomes increasingly more concerned for Scottie, and tries to find out what he has been up to. She tries to find out to be there for him, but is ultimately on the outside of the drama. She watching all this affect Scottie, due to him being so enthralled Midge only knows part of his story. Thus she is helpless from preventing any wrong doings because she is not there. However she is there to help during the aftermath.
I love this film, I must of watched it a hundred times. I don't want to reveal to much of the story if you have not seen it; because there are a couple twists. I first saw this movie in TCM with my father. My Father introduced me to some great cinema. I may of been too young to watch the psychological suspense of Hitchcock but I loved this movie the first time I saw it. Mostly because of Barbara Bel Geddes character Midge.
Midge is introduced drawing, she works as a fashion illustrator. She works, she draws for a living, I draw!, also she has blonde hair and glasses I have blonde hair and glasses!. She wore dresses, painted too and she was fun.
In one scene Scottie asked her if she knew a historian, for some research. Midge knew someone, (she must know lots of intellectual people", I thought "oh she is so cool") and Scottie invited her to meet this historian together by saying "get your hat" Midge replies "I don't need a hat".
Oh my excitement first seeing Midge on the screen.
I identified with her, and wanted to be like her whenever I became a grown up. Sadly I became a grown up in the 21st century and no one needs a fashion illustrator anymore.
My father and I always felt for her character. She really cares for Scottie, but Scottie fell in love with Madeleine (Kim Novak). Even though she may be no Kim Novak, we (my father and I) agreed Midge was way better person. In a conversation between Scottie and Midge, the viewer learns that Midge was once engaged to Scottie. We also know from that same conversation Midge called it off. It is unknown why she called it off.
Perhaps she wasn't ready and wanted to establish her career first.
Or maybe she wanted a heads over heels romance and Scottie wasn't all that romantic.
Or maybe Scottie was eyeing Kim Novak types throughout college.
We Don't Know.
As Scottie becomes more involved with this private detective job, and with Madeleine. Midge senses something going on, that he may be getting into trouble. Midge is losing him, and he may be in danger.
An attempt to grab Scottie's attention again:
She knows something is up, she did fallowed him a little bit earlier.
Is she jealous? Did she develop romantic feelings for him again?
Perhaps her work life takes most of her time that she doesn't meet new people much.
Maybe she thought Scottie will always be around.
This scene is clear that she wants to feel attractive. 'What does she have I aint got?" of course she may be trying to be subtle with a note, the painting is not so subtle, and comes across as too forward. Yet anything always comes too forward when I girl shows she likes a guy. The only acceptable behavior is to stand around and wait for them to talk to you first. Midge is not the waiting around type.
Midge is with Scottie till the very end. She may not have romantic feelings toward him anymore but it's clear she really cares about him. Just like how she catches Scottie falling off the step ladder in the beginning of the movie; she helps him at the very end when he is hospitalized by giving his doctor some insight. She wants him well again. She may of been 'interfering' before, but only because they were once close, and then he drifted away. Her intuition was telling her that he may be in trouble.
However she may be more caring, loving and truthful than Madeleine, she was not the one Scottie fell in love with. My father and I would get upset whenever a great female character like Midge is not the one the leading man falls for. Why go for personality when Kim Novak (or any other Sexy actress) around? This movie taught me that some people rather go after a person who looks ideal, than a person who is real. Those people may be nice, they may be a good friend but if they cant see the awesomeness that a person like Midge is than they are just not worth it. They are chasing illusions. Most likely will get hurt or bored when they find out that pretty face-killer body combo has no personality.
