Vertigo Effect

Camera technique first used by Alfred Hitchcock in his 1958 film 'Vertigo'.

• Category

  Film & Animation

[mattparrishable]

A camera operator actually figured effect first and Hitchcock took the credit

[PogieJoe]

This truly is brilliant. So seemingly obvious, but actually perfect.

[eywally]

hitchcock put 20.000$ into developing the dolly zoom with as a result the few seconds in vertigo, 20k was alot back then.

[MrCherubhair1]

Any proof of that?

[Olov Svedjeland Ödlund]

ehh that is not very high. you can make it if you fell from that height

[bluberrivertigo]

awesome!!!!

[Ted Logan]

incredible effect

[JeromeBeckett]

Did you know that because of difficulties filming they built a replica of the tower and filmed the 'vertigo effect' shots horizontally? There you go, a bit of pointless trivia for you...

[wsmith68]

I like seeing the end starting with when they are beside his car in front of the mission and he says, "No, no. I have to tell you about Madeleine now. Right there. We stood there and I kissed her for the last time, and she said, 'If you lose me you'll know that I loved you and wanted to keep on loving you.' And I said, 'I won't lose you.' But I did." Its shocking how crazed, vengeful and ungallant he is. The shot of her high-heeled feet being drug up the stairs... Dark, dark, dark.

[wsmith68]

I can never get my mind off this incredible score which bolsters the emotional impact so well. Especially the valiant horns at 0:35 contrasted with the tremulous flute notes. At 0:09 there is a humorous plucking that sounds like kitty paws and also like the sounds in the stabbing scene in Psycho. The anti-climactic theme at 0:51 is just the same as in North by Northwest.

[flaggerify]

HItchcock wanted to use it in Rebecca (1940) but couldn't figure out how to do it.