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Vertigo Essay

Decent Essays

A repertoire of filmmaking techniques is fundamental to the establishment of a film’s storyline by conveying explicit and implicit ideas and by taking the viewer through a heightened emotional journey. Alfred Hitchcock employs his unique film style to augment the patterns of narration in the monumental film, Vertigo. The narrative patterns follow the male protagonist, Scotty, who is inescapably drawn into the conflict of the story as he unceasingly follows Madeleine, the female protagonist. Overall, the film employs a restricted narrative in which the audience’s knowledge is equal to that of Jimmy Stewart’s character, Scotty. The Muir Woods sequence in Vertigo conveys patterns of narration through the combined elements of editing, …show more content…

For example, when Madeleine wonders into the forest, Scotty’s curiosity provokes him to start walking in that direction, as seen in shot 17. The action is immediately continued in shot 18, as Scotty continues his quest for Madeleine, keeping the viewer engaged in the situation. The arising suspense from these two shots results from the prior use of accelerated editing rhythm. There is a series of short shots, 12-17, which show Madeleine venturing away and Scotty’s bewildered reaction. The tension and suspense build as each shot captures Madeleine walking further away until she seems to disappear in between shots. In sum, the editing techniques serve to explicitly enhance the action and implicitly convey the narrative.
Vertigo’s patterns of narration are also illustrated by the elements of mise-en-scene presented during the Muir Woods sequence. All of the elements placed in front of the camera, such as setting, lighting, and figure behavior, contribute to the ultimate sense of realism conveyed by the sequence. The particular natural setting allows for important landmark events in the film to take place. In the presence of large Sequoia trees, Scotty confirms the color green motif and its symbolism of life. The cross section of the tree, a common exhibit in natural parks, allows for a critical point in the narrative to take place. In shot 11, “Carlotta” declares her birth and death in

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