Hitchcock scenes (Vertigo)

External Since: Feb 26, 2005 Posts: 191

Rich wrote:
>I wish that someone could explain how Scottie was able to descend the
>stairs of the apartment building when he could not even stand on a step
>stool?

>I like the story, but think that Hitch should have done something about
>this scene.

sawky replies:
I guess, without thinking, people just assume that acrophobia affects
different people .. differently. For one person, I suppose it *might*
be so absurdly dibilitating that simply standing up causes vertigo.
(Actually, doesn't Scottie half-joke about this in his first scene with
Midge? .. "What if a pencil falls from the table, I bend down to pick
it up and 'bingo', my acrophobia's back!")

We know Scottie's acrophobia doesn't stem from a childhood
incident/accident (.. its all so new to him and his friends) .. so I
would guess everyday stuff he's done since he was a kid (e.g.
ascending/descending stairs) would have little or minimal effect on
him.

But by standing on a stool the way he did (i.e. to see whether it would
cause a reaction or not) is a test .. and this is why I think he reacts
badly.

Fergal #.

External Since: Feb 26, 2005 Posts: 191

I wrote:
>.. so I
>would guess everyday stuff he's done since he was a kid (e.g.
>ascending/descending stairs) would have little or minimal effect on
>him.

I continue:
Meant to include ... the bell-tower stairs are not the same as the
McKittrick Hotel stairs.

With the bell-tower stairs, Scottie always had direct access to how
high up he was, simply by glancing over his shoulder.

The McKittrick Hotel stairs are the more straightforward stairs, in
that they are closer to being a 'slope' than a vertiginous drop, like
the bell-tower.

Fergal #.