Vertigo A textual analsis of the scene in Scotties apartment following his rescue of Madeline
Textual Analysis: VERTIGO When critics discuss the film Vertigo’s most pivotal scenes, often the scene with Scottie and Madeline in the redwood forest, along with the scene in Judy’s room following the ‘transformation’, are considered the most significant. However I find that a close analysis of the scene in Scottie’s apartment following his apparent rescue of Madeline, provides considerable insight into how the plot will continues to evolve. In particular, this scene arguably demonstrates Scottie’s transition from rationality to obsession. The scene opens with an establishing shot of Scottie’s apartment- a pan that reveals the events that must have occurred in the ellipse between Scotties ‘rescue’ of ‘Madeline’ from the bay, and this point in the narrative. The shot begins with Scotty in frame stoking a fire, moving around his apartment revealing Madeline’s clothes hanging in the kitchen, the audience is left to assume that he undressed her. ... As a side note, Scottie’s undressing of Madeline, is almost ironically contrasted by his redressing of Judy later on in the film. Throughout this shot, Herrmann’s score at this point is fairly shrill and repetitive, giving an eerie mysteriousness to the scene.