hat permeates the psyche of the viewer, leading to a feeling of claustrophobia. As an audience, we are drawn into Scottie's narrow view of the world, conceiving our vision of a 1950s San Francisco through Scottie's eyes. As such, we accept that there is very little traffic, and virtually no people cluttering the city streets in Scottie's reality. In fact, the only connections that Scottie, and the audience, find with the outside world are through Midge. The intense, specific color saturation that permeates each location and the rapid dismissal of lighthearted banter in place of cooler, more monotonous speech all enhance the closed-off mise-en-scene that frames Scottie's world.There are, of course, other forms of imagery within Vertigo than color. The painting for instance. When Madeleine first appears in the blood red restaurant in her green dress she pauses in artistic form which is later reciprocated by the painting of Carlotta and Midge’s likening of herself in her own version of the same painting. It is also interesting to note that Madeleine often appears in a doorway, which indicates there is something behind her or in her past. This makes her a mystery to Scottie and therefore to us. The lack of what is shown about Scottie’s rescue from the rooftop at the beginning of the film is a powerful manipulation of imagery in itself. The effect of this, metaphorically, leaves him suspended, throughout the film, over a great abyss. Hitchcock chooses to end the picture almost abruptly at the bell tower scene. It is the same exact spot where earlier on, Scottie first witnesses the “suicidal” fall of Elster’s real wife. The same exact scene where Scottie relives his guilt of being unable to prevent a death due to his vertigo. Scottie’s vertigo is channeled into his confusion, his guilt, his hurt and his ultimate love for a woman from which there is no turning back from. As he reaches the top, he i...
