Hollywood: Vertigo

Question 1

What is Hitchcock known has

Answer 1

the master of suspense

Question 2

Vertigo is shown to be a highly sexualised text, what film theorist can we use to back this up

Answer 2

Laura Mulvey, and her peice “Visual attractions and other pleasures” where she coined the term the male gaze

Question 3

What is the male gaze about

Answer 3

A theory of the representation of women in films, and how films are made by men for men thereby leaving women as submissive and purley their for male enjoyment

Question 4

How does the introduction of Madeline cater to the male gaze

Answer 4

• purley a non digetic soundtrack as to not distract from her introduction
• bright green dress and bright blonde hair, making her stick out and exude “to be look-at-ness”
• positioned in the middle of the door frame, made to look like a painting, once again exudeing “to be look-at-ness” and to be admired and gazed upon
• intra diegetic shot reverse shot between Scottie and Madeline, giving us subjective access and showing us were viewing madeline through scottie’s/the male eye. The kino eye is male
• leading lines that frame Madeline
• when the camera spots madeline it moves across the ground in a stalky predatory way, reflecting scottie’s gaze on her and adds to voyeruistiness of the scene