The Art of Framing: Hitchcock's Vertigo 

Wow, Hitchcock was a genius and so are you. This is one of the best film analyses I’ve ever seen, and I went to film school.

Dude, this is one of the greatest pieces of analysis I have ever seen on RU-vid! Please keep making more of these. I would absolutely love to see more videos like this with other movies.

Yes, Hitchcock absolutely did work this way. He was very focused on the psychological and even subliminal effect his films had on his audience. I remember noticing in "Strangers on a Train" how the character of Guy Haines first hides from a police car behind the bars of an iron fence even though he is innocent. From this point on in every scene there is a striped, barred, or latticed pattern, reminding us subliminally of the danger Guy is now in vis a vis the law. In one instance, it is even the columns of the Lincoln Memorial. You may want to do a video on this.

This is brilliant!! I’ve seen so much on this film but no one has mentioned anything you’ve talked about here! Thank you so much!

I have listened to many analyses by the experts about the Vertigo. This tops them all. This is fascinating analysis. I feel like I need to watch it again to notice this incredible movement of the characters. It is simply genius. Thank you.

Very interesting. And yes, the first time I saw the film I did notice him driving on the left side of the road and it threw me for a moment, but then of course was right back into the story due to Hitchcock’s prowess with storytelling. Thanks, good job.

This video is absolute brilliance

The power of observation is strong with this one.

I saw this technique in the film somewhere in time, the main caracter was always on the right side of the frame and whenever something happend he was standing in the left side of the frame. I never saw something in it until I saw this video 😅

WOW. I've seen this film a dozen times, but never realized what Hitchcock was doing with framing. The guy was a genius. Kudos, Danny Bellini

Fascinating and insightful! Two points to clarify, however. The photo on Judy's dresser was of Judy and her mother, not her sister with her mother. This does not affect the point you are making. Also, Scottie is driving back to the mission in the left lane at the end because it appears to be a split highway, not a mistake or the result of his intensity in the moment. He drove in that same left lane when he originally, and calmly, first took Madeline to the mission. Keep up the great work, and thanks!

Your observation and analysis is inspired- kudos. You've spotlighted just one more layer of the fabric of this film and showed us one more reason why we enjoy it so much and why it is held in such high esteem. Your points make sense and blend well with so many others such as the meaning of colors, mirror images, dialogue and so forth. Like many fans I see something new every time I view Vertigo and it never gets old. I disagree with you regarding the wrong-side-of-the-road scene but only in that this is a divided highway and Scotty''s simply driving in the fast lane; but only the geeks know that- most people wonder why he's driving on the wrong side of the road and this supports your point. On a different issue, I've decided it was Judy who first spotted Scotty lingering in front of the flower shop (rather than he spotting her) and chose to stop on the sidewalk in hopes of stealing a glimpse of him or possibly catching his eye. Anyway, thanks for your video- I predict you will go far!

"Vertigo" is a brilliant film, as is your analysis!

Excellent video. It wasn't Madeleine's dress Judy was hugging, but her own.

Love this film. Watching it again and again . . . and this was fresh & insightful!

This is mindblowing. Thanks for making such a smart analysis.

Awesome analysis video on one of the best and most beautiful looking movies ever made. I watched it again yesterday and I noticed that Madeline when in her role wearing that Grey outfit she has a hummingbird button on the whole time. When John finds her again in her green dress thinking he found someone who resembles her she's wearing a rabbit button the whole time.. Can't find anything about this and I can hardly imagine this is a random thing. My question is did you notice this as well and what can it mean?

Great insight, so brilliant! This frame really works and makes me respect Hitchcock more, want to watch the film seriously once again.

I notice lots of comments dismiss these ideas, but that just shows how few people understand or even care to understand just how an artist thinks. Many many artists think just like this; abstract ideas and formal rules underpin every choice, every action and object shown. And every colour and movement is there to encode a deeper meaning and to work on the viewer without their conscious perception. It doesn’t matter if the audience neither notices this internal structure or if they refute it’s presence... it’s there none the less.

What a great analysis

I always wonder that Judy jumped, thinking that Elser was there; same shape of head and nun cap.

Pretty brilliant, whoever you are! Can't leave her/bridge-good catch.

This essay is brilliant, I always noticed there is something up with the camera movement but i couldn't figure it out was it is :)

If you claim that Scottie is guilty of Judy's death at the end, how was he relieved of his fear of heights? Is it because he now knows the truth so the fear went away because he went to face it head-on but still felt guilty due to what happened?

I got Vertigo just grappling with the ideas in this video.... (But they Were intriguing! Really genius if Hitch had it all planned to shoot this way for these reasons.)

Really well done! Never even noticed this, Id love you to do Psycho 🤞

Wow, as many times as I've seen that film, I'd never noticed that.

9:17 To support your theory even more, Judy is writing the letter with her LEFT hand

You my friend are a genius, thank you

Needs more views.

Amazing essay!!! Keep on the great work!

Very very interesting idea Great how you noticed all these

I don't believe I ever heard Hitchcock mention this theory.

Excellent movie it is evergreen camera angles location and star casting

Awesome. More Hitchcock videos!

Wow! Blew mind mind. Wonderful

Great insight. Thanks for sharing!

Fascinating

This was great

EXCELLENT!!!

Any notion of symbolism or intent behind the colors in the film?

Excellent.

Ufff amazing. Love this video. 👏👏

And if so - did Hitchcock go to all this left-to right - right-to - left trouble deliberately - or was it all unconscious?

Well done, interesting point of views. But "We may never know if she jumped or fell?"

Wow superb work❤ Can u pls lets us know which software did u use to create that white line effect?

Rather intense.

Wow I didn't notice this

Wow. Nice analysis. But it can be too much for some.

Hmmm not sure. Although interesting, I feel it’s over-analysis talking someone down a hole. Same in Kubrick doc 237. Interesting though

More please

You're right, I'm left, she's gone.

But, what about the first time Scottie sees Madeline? She's with Gavin, walking left to right. How does that fit into the plot?

With all due respect, this is not "Your Theory." It has been written about by scholars for years.

This movie is quite difficult to comprehend. I am no idiot, but really???

Make more videos

Lol man, interesting. But what about people from, let's say, Japan, who are brought up reading right to left? Does that mean they have an incorrect subconscious reading of the film?

what pills you on?

It an interesting theory and the film mostly supports it. But you are absolutely wrong about Scotty driving on the wrong side of the road. Yes, he's driving in the left lane. But look at the road markings: he's in the left side of a 2-lane road, with the lanes separated by a single, white dashed line. Not a solid line, not a double yelow line that separates traffic going in opposite directions. Scotty is in the left side of a 2-lane road, heading towards the mission. To his left is the tree-lined grassy median that separates the traffic heading towards the mission from the traffic headinf away from the mission. We can't see the opposing traffic because of the trees. So yes, he's in the left lane. But there is nothing inherently "wrong " about it.

Interesting theory but a little simplistic

Does anyone else get the impression this is a textbook example of "reading too much into it"? I got that at first. Then the driving on the wrong side of the road thing. At least 50/50 now.

Number 1 BS

Amazing how many people are buying this poppycock!