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Vertigo
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Thursday, October 26, 7 pm

“One of the landmarks—not merely of the movies, but of 20^th-century art.” —Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

Hypnotic and intense, no film has ever elicited so many theories of interpretation than Alfred Hitchcock’s dizzyingly compelling Vertigo. One of Hitchcock’s finest films delves into a web of obsession and deceit.

Scottie (James Stewart) is a detective who develops a fear of heights after viewing the death of a colleague. During his recovery, he’s taken on the case of Madeline (Kim Novak), a woman who may be possessed by the spirit of a suicidal 18^th-century aristocrat. This launches a trajectory of myopic compulsion as he tracks her, leading to tragedy and twists that completely upend our preconceptions about the characters.

With a hypnotic score by Bernard Hermann that is woefully underappreciated, the film was nominated for two Oscars: Best Art Direction and Best Sound. 1958, U.S., DCP, 128 minutes. Rated PG.

James Katz: Preserving Hitchcock

The former President and Founder of the Universal Pictures Classics Division, James Katz made a monumental impact on film history through his preservation and re-release of five Alfred Hitchcock’s films in the early 1980s. The success of these films led to other monumental restorations such as Spartacus, My Fair Lady, and Lawrence of Arabia. His efforts in preserving film history included the production of oral histories that were eventually included in home video releases providing the first opportunities for viewers to have access to media literacy in addition to viewing landmarks in the history of cinema.

Katz now lives part-time in Kentucky and will share his wealth of knowledge in two post-screening discussions.