Repetition is a style that is used in many films because it is a dynamic way for the director to get his point across. Showing something more than once allows the director to solidify his point and make the audience remember. In Vertigo, the first image that you see is the police officer falling off a building to his death. This scene is repeated several more times during the movie, when Madeleine falls to her death out of the church tower, and also at the end of the movie when Judy falls from the same tower. Everyone that died in the movie was either thrown or fell from the top of a building. All these deaths lead back to the beginning of the movie when we hear that Scottie suffers from acrophobia, and the police officer, trying to save Scottie from falling, actually falls to his own death. Modleski notes that Scottie is “…caught up in repetition, like Judy/Madeleine/Carlotta…” (Modleski, 98). It seems as though every girl that Scottie falls for ends up hurting him.

The repetition in this movie ultimately leads to the death of many of the characters. Modleski refers to repetition as leading to “…unfreedom, masochism and death…” (Modleski, 98), and all of these are present in Vertigo. The repetition shown in the movie provides some insight into the minds of the characters and the audience is able to get a better understanding of the emotions of the individuals. The repetition of Judy being made over as Madeleine ultimately leads to her own death. Also with the remake of Judy we can see the masochistic side of Gavin and Scottie. They will not allow her to think for herself and they take pleasure in transforming her into Madeleine. This also leads to Judy not being able to do what she wants. She is told what to do and she must comply. All her freedom is lost and she is left with an empty feeling inside.

After Scottie is released from the asylum he goes in search of Madeleine, hoping that she will be there for him. He retraces his footsteps from the first time he met Madeleine. We see him go to Ernie’s, the first place he laid eyes on Madeleine. From there he goes to the art gallery, and

Some topics in this essay:
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