Vertigo Special Edition

The career of Alfred Hitchcock — arguable film history’s greatest director to date — has been so prolific and diverse that it lends itself to near endless discussion and analysis. It’s not just that he made so many film classics and crafted so many masterpieces, it’s that his best work is remarkably diverse and bears repeat viewing and discussion. To that end, the Vertigo edition of the Universal Legacy Series (in addition to Psycho and Rear Window) offers a beautifully restored print; normally, this sort of thing is de rigueur but in the case of Vertigo’s innovative use of colour, it’s particularly important. That vision — and the unusual creepy, mentally disturbed protagonist played by Jimmy Stewart — are the focus of extended featurette "Obsessed With Vertigo: New Life for Hitchcock’s Masterpiece,” which richly details the film’s production, deterioration and restoration. Each edition in the ULS has fleshed out a different aspect of Hitchcock’s career; in this case it’s his film legacy and influence, from the obvious (de Palma, Spielberg) to the more obscure. Fan William Friedkin sits down for a feature-length commentary, as do members of the production and restoration team. But what remains most amazing about Hitchcock — his work, his habits, his obsessions — is that the more you learn about the man, the more you’re drawn back to the genius of his work. He wouldn’t have supported any other obsession. Plus: censored foreign ending, photo archives, Alfred Hitchcock Presents: The Case of Mr. Pelham.