Vertigo
The first film of the Odyssey Film Club
I picked up the September programme for ‘The Odyssey’, in which I saw an advert for the new film club. This threw me back to when I was about 8 years old and read about a film showing in my town hall. I instantly wanted to go and did.
The first film to screen would be Vertigo. Now, because it was within a Film Club context, which meant there would be a discussion after, I thought, “Why not?”
There were around 150 people present in the cinema, with about 20 staying back for the discussion.
The Odyssey helpfully produced a leaflet on the film with some questions to keep in mind. When it came to the discussion, it seemed initially that we would chat with a neighbour. Thankfully, there was a retired lecturer amongst us who took the initiative and started a group discussion.
As I listened to these film lovers, I realised there was a whole lot more to film than what I saw.
The green haze and the use of colours in the film. The green haze conveys, it seems, an ethereal quality.
The Hayes Code. What? There once was a code for making films? I never knew, but perhaps after watching ‘Babylon’ a few years ago, I understood.
I have since read that, to satisfy the Hayes Code, an extra scene was filmed to show that Gavin Elster was held accountable for his crime.
Bernard Herrmann. Who? Well, the guy is so acclaimed for his scores for films such as Vertigo that an appreciation society still exists.
Saul Bass. I mean, these guys aren’t even the actors. Saul Bass designed the poster for Vertigo and the opening titles.
For over an hour, we sat talking about this film. It was one experience to watch and another to discuss with others.
g
