VERTIGO LEGACY SERIES SPECIAL EDITION   Studio: Universal (Originally released via Paramount) Original Release: 1958 Length: 2 hours 10 mins Genre: Romantic Thriller Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Color/B&W: Color Audio: |
Release Date: October 7, 2008 Rating: 4  Starring: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes, Tom Helmore, Henry Jones Written by: Alec Coppel & Samuel Taylor Based on the novel “D’Entre Les Morts” by: Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo is one of the most striking and memorable films in the canon of Alfred Hitchcock. Unabashedly romantic, the film still dares to show that its hero character has tendencies that can lead him to villainy. Jimmy Stewart, in one of his best performances, plays Scottie Ferguson, a police detective who resigns after developing an extreme case of acrophobia in the opening moments of the film. Much of the film then concerns his pursuit of a beautiful woman (Kim Novak) who may be the reincarnation of someone who lived a lifetime ago. There’s a lot of thematic material here about obsession – with death, with the idea of love, etc. – and Hitchock places the audience in a pretty uncomfortable position as he repeatedly gives us more information than he gives Stewart. Where the film gets its power (aside from some beautiful visual compositions and a powerful score by Bernard Hermann) is the realization that Scottie is so obsessed with creating and recreating the image of this beautiful woman that he fails to see the reality of the person in front of him. The film still has resonance today – it moves a little slower than the thrillers we see today, but it has more power than almost any current film. The current DVD is a 2 Disc “Legacy Series” special edition, and is at least the third time this film has been released on DVD by Universal. An initial DVD edition was issued 10 years ago, showcasing the restoration done by Robert A. Harris and James C. Katz with a non-anamorphic transfer but bracing it with a host of extras, including a group audio commentary and the AMC documentary “Obsessed with Vertigo", along with a “foreign censorship” alternate ending, trailers, production notes and archive materials. In 2005, a “Masterpiece Collection” of Hitchcock films was issued, including a copy of Vertigo with an anamorphic transfer. To my knowledge, this copy was not available separately – in order to get the anamorphic transfer, you had to buy the whole set of films. Now, for the 50th anniversary of the film, Universal has released the film again on its own. This time, the film is presented with the anamorphic transfer (I believe it’s the same one from 2005, but it may have been remastered since then), the original extras, and a few additional extras including a new commentary by William Friedkin, some featurettes on Hitchcock’s collaborators, audio excerpts from the Truffaut/Hitchcock interviews, and an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents directed by the master himself. ADDENDUM: The original mono soundtrack for the film has not been included with this edition. The 2.0 mono track indicated on the packaging is actually a downconversion of the 5.1 remix done by Harris and Katz for their restoration. Fans of Vertigo who only have the original DVD release from 1998 will certainly want to pick this one up for the anamorphic transfer, although they should be aware the the original mono track is not included here. Fans who already have the 2005 collection should probably rent this first to check out the extras. And anyone who hasn’t seen this film needs to take two hours and watch it. On that idea, I’m sure we can all agree.  VIDEO QUALITY: 3 ½ /5 ½Vertigo is presented in an anamorphic 1.85:1 widescreen transfer is easily head and shoulders above (bad pun for a film about an acrophobic person...) the quality seen on the 1998 edition. The colors are simply brighter and sharper, and it’s really a pleasure to watch. I should note that enthusiasts for the film (and Robert A. Harris) have discussed an error in the transfer of the film's opening title sequence. The color for that sequence is apparently off, and apparently was such on the 2005 Masterpiece Collection release. That aside, the transfer is still much better than what came before on an individual basis. AUDIO QUALITY: 3/5 Vertigo is presented in a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix in English that spotlights Hermann’s score but replaces the original sound effects with new Foley work done in the 1990’s during the restoration process. (This is all shown in the “Obsessed with Vertigo documentary on the 2nd disc.) The mix is fine as far as I’m concerned in presenting the dialogue, the music and the general effect of the piece – I didn’t find the surrounds to be obtrusive here. This is a mostly frontal mix, as it should be. There is some music and a few effects in the surrounds, but nothing that jarred me. A 2.0 mono track is also included with the film, but it is not the original one from the film's theatrical release. Instead, it is a downconversion of the 5.1 mix. For some inexplicable reason, the original track cannot be found here. SPECIAL FEATURES: 3 ½ /5 ½ Vertigo comes with a host of special features, most of which date back to the 1998 release, but several of which are new, including a commentary with William Friedkin, a new batch of featurettes on Hitchock’s collaborators, an excerpt from the Hitchcock/Truffaut interviews and an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents (“The Case of Mr. Pelham”) directed by Hitchcock. On the first disc, we find: • Feature Commentary by Associate Producer Herbert Coleman, Robert A. Harris, James C. Katz, with inserted comments by others including Samuel Taylor – This group commentary is the same one available since the laserdisc edition and the 1998 DVD. It’s mostly a scene-specific talk with Harris and Katz prodding Coleman for production stories, but there are several places where pre-recorded comments by other contributors are inserted. There’s a lot of information being passed back and forth here, so it’s a track you’ll really need to pay attention to, even at the expense of watching the film closely. • Feature Commentary by William Friedkin - NEW COMMENTARY – Friedkin sits down for a scene-specific commentary that has some information tucked in it, but mostly consists of Friedkin telling the story of the movie as it plays out. In some cases, Friedkin spoils later events of the film, and in other cases, he simply repeats what we already know. I didn’t find this to be a terribly rewarding commentary, but other viewers may get more from it. •Foreign Censorship Ending (2:08, Non-Anamorphic) – A brief epilogue for the film is included here, as it was on the earlier editions. This ending, shot to satisfy foreign exhibitors, features a radio broadcast indicating that the villain of the story will indeed be caught. This ending, of course, is completely superfluous. •The Vertigo Archives (9:44, Full Frame) – The archive of sketches and pictures from the 1998 DVD is preserved here. You can click through the various items in the usual fashion. • Production Notes – The original production notes from the 1998 DVD are preserved here. You can click through them in the usual fashion. • Trailers – (2:29 and 1:23, Full Frame) - As on the 1998 DVD, the trailers for the original release and the restoration edition are both included here. On the second disc, we find: • Obsessed with VERTIGO: New Life for Hitchcock’s Masterpiece (29:16, Full Frame) – The AMC documentary from 1997 is once again included. It’s still an effective, informative examination of both the making of the film, and the restoration of the materials by Robert A. Harris and James C. Katz. Interview material is intercut with footage from the film, video of the restoration work, and examples of how the restoration improved the picture quality. • Partners in Crime: Hitchcock’s Collaborators – (54:51 total, Anamorphic) - NEW FEATURETTES – These new anamorphic featurettes focus on four different people who were a key part of Hitchcock’s creative life: Saul Bass (titles), Edith Head (costumes), Bernard Hermann (musical score), and of course, Alma Reville, Hitchcock’s wife and companion throughout his life. • Hitchcock/Truffaut Interview Excerpts (14:17, Anamorphic) – NEW FEATURE - Audio from the famous interviews is included here, specifically excerpts pertaining to Vertigo. The audio is played over anamorphic clips from the film that can illustrate exactly what the filmmakers are talking about, with Hermann’s score playing for background mood. • Alfred Hitchcock Presents: “The Case of Mr. Pelham” (25:34, Full Frame, Black & White) – An episode of Hitchock’s anthology series is included here for good measure. This segment, directed by Hitchcock and starring Tom Ewell, concerns a man dealing with some of the same issues of duality, reality, madness and obsession that the film tackles. Subtitles are available in English, French and Spanish for the film itself, as well as for the special features. A standard chapter menu is included for quick reference. IN THE END... Vertigo finally gets an individual anamorphic release for its 50th Anniversary, coupled with some additional extras to make the package more interesting for anyone who picked up the earlier editions. If the viewer only has the 1998 DVD, I recommend an upgrade to this one. If the viewer already has the 2005 collection, I’d recommend a rental to check out the new materials. And if the viewer has not seen this film, I recommend putting everything down and watching it, for goodness’ sake. While the information given me regarding the original mono track's non-presence here, as well as the error in the title coloring, is compelling and disappointing, it does not deter me from recommending this edition for those people who have not seen the film before on DVD, or who only have the original non-anamorphic release. In the event that a revision of this edition becomes available with the mono track, or with a correction for the main titles, I'll be the first to recommend that people seek an exchange. In the absence of such a revision, I must stay with what I have in hand. Kevin Koster October 19, 2008. (Revised October 26, 2008) |
