When we go to the theater we are in relative darkness and we sit in a relatively rested position. This mimics a sleep environment, which itself brings us back to our mothers arms through a process which Freud referred to as “temporal regression”. This process makes us more suggestive to imagery as a form of communication since we could not communicate verbally when we were young enough to have our first memories of being in our mothers arms. Also visual form is the most archaeic form of communication and brings us back to the very most basic communication which the human brain knows. Within our dreams verbal communication does not exist. We communicate and receive communication through thoughts, which manifest as images or symbols. These images represent mental perceptions in our unconscious which are automatically taken for perceptions of reality. So it is easy to see how imagery can be an effective communication tool in film. There are many images within film, which may influence how the film communicates with us in this way because we are in a highly suggestive sleep-like environment. Take perhaps the image of a bend or fork in a road or a bridge, these may indicate a decision one has to make or a choice one is facing, just as the image of a house may indicate a set of values or a belief system.In the film, Vertigo, imagery is only as important as it is in any other film but it is more apparent and easily discernable in this film as in most other Hitchcock films. When we are in a cinematic setting with it’s dim lighting, comfortable seating and focus on the screen we are more suggestive to imagery as a form of communication then normal because of a regression, subconsciously, to infant like communication and an egotistical mind set. Hitchcock, more then the average director, realizes this and takes advantage of it by using imagery to convey his message in a much more effective way.Color is the most import...
