ALFRED HITCHCOCK — VERTIGO
Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” is considered one of the cult director’s finest works, with 846 critics putting it in first place on Sight & Sound’s list of the greatest films (previously in this poll, which has been held since 1952, for many years it was in the lead ” Citizen Kane). Also, “Vertigo” is considered the best detective film of all time according to the American Film Institute. The game Alfred Hitchcock – Vertigo is unlikely to get into serious tops, but it is absolutely impossible to break away from it, as well as from viewing the original picture.
Player cover
Vertigo from Hitchcock
The Spaniards from Pendulo Studios are also, to put it mildly, not the last in their field: behind their shoulders is the Runaway series beloved by many, the thriller Yesterday and the noir detective Blacksad: Under the Skin. It is not surprising that in Vertigo they decided not to copy the original plot of Vertigo, but came up with their own story based on the motives, retaining the overall style, mood and largely themes.
Even Hitchcock himself appears here.
In general, they prepared well and made a real gift to Hitchcock fans. There is a signature cameo from the director, who has appeared in microscopic roles in almost all of his films; there are familiar shots – for example, a car driving along a serpentine road, or the famous look down with a view from the eyes, when it seems that you are sick and you are about to collapse.
In the film, it took a lot of technical work to make a shot like this.
The game also takes place in the San Francisco area, and at some point the characters also look at a stand showing a section of the roots of a thousand-year-old sequoia, where each layer corresponds to one or another historical event.
Only now there are much more modern dates.
Plus quotes from other Hitchcock paintings – birds often flash by, which can be a starting point for inspiration for the main character, and the word “psycho”. However, the main thing is that here we also have a thriller about madness and about the ghosts of the past, which can return and poison your life. And, of course, about the fatal woman who, like in the film, suddenly appears in the life and in the hero’s house, and then just as suddenly disappears from him. She’s weird, very beautiful (God, what a beauty Kim Novak [Kim Novak] as Madeleine – just watch Vertigo for her!) And, quite possibly, impersonating another person.
Girl with a surprise, let’s say.
Although it is unclear whether it exists at all. Some believe that the entire plot of “Vertigo” is the fruit of delirium, imagination, a dream of the protagonist. About the story told by the writers of Pendulo Studios, you can think the same thing, but, of course, in general, it is simpler.
Madness, the ghosts of the past, the manipulation of them and your memories – these are just some of the themes raised in the original “Vertigo”, the symbolism and metaphor of which is interpreted from a variety of points of view – Freudian, Catholic, Gothic, surrealist, feminist, autobiographical, even Marxist and so on. Further.
In this sense, I repeat, the game is not so deep. There is no hidden symbolism here, but there is a very specific story of madness and revenge, coming largely from childhood traumas, repressed memories and complexes. But the plot here is also very confusing, and in places emphatically unrealistic – the original “Vertigo” was often blamed for this.
Are there any healthy people here?
Flights in a dream and in reality
So, writer Ed Miller wakes up on the road and realizes that there was a car accident in which, according to Ed, his daughter and her mother were killed. But no bodies or traces of blood were found in the car. And in general, there is no evidence of their existence, except for the words of Miller. But in the car they found a gun and a bottle of whiskey. At the same time, the corpse of a man who was familiar with Ed is found on a nearby farm.
The cat will play a very important role in this story.
Miller is among the main suspects and finds himself in a madhouse – at first Ed wanted to commit suicide, and then he developed such a severe form of fear of heights that he could not even get out of bed. As a result, Miller’s old friend and publisher hires a well-known psychotherapist, for whom we basically play – we have conversations with Ed, rummage through his memories (including childhood ones) and bit by bit get to the bottom of the truth using hypnosis.
Ed met himself during a hypnosis session.
In addition, they periodically let you play for Miller himself, for the policeman who is simultaneously investigating, and for the very girl who is either there or not. To say that all of this makes for an engaging, twisted thriller is really an understatement.
