I don't know if I went into this with high expectations because of the critical acclaim it has, but I was left a bit confused at the end as to why _Vertigo_ is so lauded.

I love many movies from this era and indeed Hitchcock's work (I especially love _Rear Window_) but hadn't seen this one before. The first half of the film was enjoyable and felt like a slow burn, unfolding towards some thrilling conclusion. James Stewart is always watchable and the cast in general is good, but I felt the film's second half drastically let it down. [spoiler]There were abrupt developments, such as Stewart's character Scotty getting hospitalised then suddenly free again, and then there's how Scotty displays a manipulative stalker-like side when he finds Kim Novak's character again, and pretty much holds her captive for the remainder of the film - until her death marks the almost hilariously abrupt ending[/spoiler].

I certainly wanted to like this film, and perhaps a second viewing will unlock some of its charms, but as a first watch and impression, _Vertigo_ was sadly lacking for such a lauded film by an acclaimed director.