20 Things You Somehow Missed In Alfred Hitchcock Movies

Within Vertigo, to highlight the significance of an important occurrence, Hitchcock often used the lighting as a symbol. For example, when Scottie first sees Madeleine in Ernie’s restaurant, the light surrounding her becomes harshly bright. Another instance is when Scottie is listening to the story of Madeleine’s ancestor in the book shop, it becomes darker and darker until he leaves the premise.

And most well-known, when Scottie first sees Judy completely made up as Madeleine, she is lit by a blurred, haunting green tinge.

Famed costume designer Edith Head also worked extensively with Hitchcock to give Madeleine’s clothing an eerie appearance. Her character specifically wore all grey because it was unusual for a blonde woman to be wearing entirely that shade. And in one scene, she wore a black scarf against a white coat to amplify the odd contrast.