Vertigo: Narrative Structure

The narrative structure of many films can be divided into the three-act structure: setup, conflict, resolution. Vertigo seems to follow this structure…

1.Introduction And Background (14 mins) 2.The Madeleine Elster Narrative (65 mins) - 1 st encounter ( 23 mins ) - 2 nd encounter ( 14 mins ) - 3 rd encounter ( 16 mins ) - 4 th encounter ( 10 mins ) 3. The Judy Barton Narrative (49 mins) - The Background ( 10 mins ) - Scottie meets Judy ( 13 mins ) - The Makeover ( 15 mins ) - The Final Fall ( 11 mins )

Three Act Structure 1 Setup Introduction and Background - Setup The event that led to Scottie’s disabling fear of heights is covered. We are also introduced to Scottie’s loyal companion, Midge Wood. Scottie is then hired to follow the wife of an old college friend of his, Gavin Elster.

2 Conflict The Madeleine Elster Narrative – Conflict The 1st Encounter - Scottie tracks Madeleine as she visits sites around San Francisco associated with her great-grandmother, Carlotta Valdez. The 2nd Encounter - Madeleine attempts suicide by jumping into San Francisco Bay, Scottie leaps in after her to pull her out. He takes her to his place and they become friends. The 3rd Encounter - Scottie wants to help Madeleine recover her sanity, and the two of them discuss her psychological affliction. In the process they become more intimate, and eventually they embrace passionately. Scottie has surrendered and plunged into the irrationality of love and passion. The 4th Encounter - Madeleine tells Scottie of her nightmare, he recognises that she is dreaming of a historic monument. Scottie insists on taking her there. When they arrive, Madeleine rushes up the steep bell tower steps, with Scottie unable to pursue her quickly because of his acrophobia. Halfway up the steps, he sees her fall to her death.

And finally… 3 Resolution The Judy Barton Narrative – Resolution Background of Judy Scottie and Judy meet Scottie makeover Judy to look like Madeleine Judy falls to her death, mirroring Madeleine’s death.

The narrative form in Vertigo is mostly linear - The scenes run in chronological order with a brief flashback But, like the spiral motif that runs through the film, there is another structure based around repetition and being haunted by the past that gives the film sense of dizzying circularity

The film ends as it begins, with the same question: how does Scottie get down? This links to the cyclical pattern of the past haunting the present that informs the whole film The film is also structured around repetition with variation that gradually reveals the truth

Narrative structure repeats itself matching up with past/present Elster returns from Scottie’s past Midge is haunted by her past with Scottie Carlotta ‘returns’ from the past Madeleine returns from Scottie’s past Judy’s past catches up with her Scottie takes Judy up the tower to resolve the story, “then I’ll be free of the past.”

Resolution? At the end of the film, Scotty gets to the top of the tower. Does this mean he has conquered his Vertigo? Or has he just gone round in a circle?

Francois Truffaut called Vertigo, “a filmed dream” Certainly, there are several dreamlike elements that inform the film’s structure and tone

1.Equilibrium 2.A disruption of this Equilibrium by an event 3.A realization that a disruption has occurred 4.An attempt to repair the damage of the equilibrium 5.Restoration of equilibrium – which may result in a new equilibrium. “a story belongs to the genre of the fantastic if the story manages to raise doubt in both characters and the reader, or in the mind of the reader alone”. The reader had to be challenged to doubt the true nature of the events. Is what is happening real or just an illusion?