brunette in a hitchcock film? kiss of death.

Hitchcock's masterpiece Vertigo is a film that has always been a personal favorite of mine. The themes of obsession and lust are universal. As Roger Ebert stated in his review of the film, "Alfred Hitchcock took universal emotions, like fear, guilt and lust, placed them in ordinary characters, and developed them in images more than in words." Each emotion that Scottie feels is so visceral that it penetrates through the screen to capture the audience. When he first views Madeline from a distance, we receive a hint of attraction that he feels to her. He's constantly watching her not only because it's his duty but because he's beginning to enjoy just watching her. He does become a voyeur, privy to her every move and action without the knowledge that she's being watched. This puts him in a strong position of power over her. I'll even go as far as to say that he has power over her life when she falls into the bay and he rushes to save her. He's just an observer and doesn't have to save her life. He shouldn't even make his presence known to her but he does.

Ebert also states that, "Judy, in ``Vertigo,'' is the closest he [Hitchcock] came to sympathizing with the female victims of his plots." I agree and in a way, I feel as if Hitchcock gave some power to his female character. Madeline has power because she is aware that she is being followed. She's part of a plot to aid her lover in killing his wife. She helps to lead Scottie into his own insanity. As stated above, he becomes obsessed with Kim Novak's new persona, Judy. In the latter half of the film when he discovers Judy, the audience takes on the role of the voyeur. We know after the scene between Scottie and Judy in the hotel room that Judy really is Madeline but Scottie doesn't know that. We watch as he delves deeper and deeper into his obsession by completely transforming Judy into Madeline. I have to suspend my ideas of reality because it is very difficult to believe that Judy is so in love with him that she's willing to transform into dead Madeline for him. It's such a weak characteristic that Judy has when she seemed so strong, powerful and manipulative as Madeline. The transformation becomes complete with the new outfit and hairstyle until Scottie sees the necklace of Carlotta around Judy's neck.

The climax of the film occurs twice in the same location: the bell tower. Toward the end of the film, he corners Judy into her confession and still can't look past her as Madeline to love Judy. Judy is the complete opposite of Madeline. She's not poised, not articulate, not as classy. She's humble, a little naive, weak and not to mention, a brunette. That's the kiss of death in a Hitchcock film. He kills her off without a second thought and leaves Scottie to live with his guilt for the rest of his life. It's a tragic story with a tragic end and that's my kind of movie.

sex and the city: an informal commentary
This is the second class in which I've viewed episodes of Sex and the City at Sacramento State and I've learned two things:

1) Professors in this school really like Sex and the City.
2) I'm never going to be interested in this show.

I'm a Queer as Folk girl and though the latter show's creators blatantly rip off storylines of the former show, I'm still faithful to my show until the very end. I do understand the comparisons between the Vertigo showing and the couple episodes of Sex and the City. While the film conveys weak and manipulative women, the television show conveys strong, manipulative, independent women and in today's day and age, that is what the modern woman is all about. The second episode was about double standards. Could women have sex like men? Why is it that when men have sex with several different women over a short period of time and he's a stud while women are sluts? The show helps to desensitize that differentiation between men and women -- at least in the bedroom. I can see the appeal of it for others and I will defend their right to watch it but it certainly doesn't hold my interest.