Vertigo (movie)
A major theme in Vertigo is obsession. Scottie seems to obsess with Madeleine. The camera often follows the eyes of Scottie. His eyes constantly gaze at Madeleine. With the suicide, Scottie ends up in a mental hospital. Afterwards, he always goes to objects and places that connect to Madeleine. Judy has to look exactly like Madeleine. The obsession is like a spiral. It creates a form of vertigo. Gavin also makes Madeleine obsess with Carlotta. The theme of obsession connects to death. The vertigo and images of spirals connect to the idea of falling to one's death. Death appears with tunnels and corridors. Hallways are also common elements in horror films. Another theme in the film is self-deception. Scottie was a detective. This is someone who tries to figure out the truth about crimes. Now he is following Madeleine like a detective. However, Madeleine is not real and Scottie is deceived. He also deceives himself through his obsession. He tries to create an image of Madeleine, but forgets reality. Madness takes over. The film is very philosophical. Gender roles are important in the film. Some say the film is about male aggression and dominance. Another theme in the movie is lack of identity and wandering. Madeleine says that she is just wandering. When Scottie follows her, he also is wandering with her. He also says multiple times that he is just wandering. At one point, Madeleine seems to be driving in circles. Wandering means that they do not have a destination. There is no purpose or sense. The two are also unstable and do not understand themselves. This connects to the idea of vertigo and dizziness. The spirals in the film can connect to wandering without a destination.