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Vertigo is weirder. Which makes it more interesting. Which makes it better.
For years I have wondered what I am missing about Vertigo. I’ve watched it four times in the hope of understanding why oh why cinephiles love it so. Every time the final credits roll I wonder anew, as nothing I just watched makes any sense, either to me or apparently any of the characters in the film, who are perpetually bewildered by everything that occurs, even their own actions. Finally, when Josh and Adam did their recent face off between these two films, did I learn the truth. Even people who love this movie say it makes no sense, going to absurd lengths like positing the theory it is all a dream to avoid the truth right in front of them. Maybe it’s a dream? Maybe it’s just not that great of a movie.
Rear Window by default.
When you watch Rear Window, you think, "Wow - Hitchcock really mastered this art form." But when you watch Vertigo, you think, "Wow - ultimately this art form mastered even him."
Choosing between these two films are in no way an easy choice, they are both among the best movies of any decade. I wouldn’t badmouth any of them. But Vertigo is for for me the strongest. For every rewatch, and I’ve done a lot of them, I discover another layer of guilt, obsession, male violence and vileness (is that even a word? I’m Swedish, i wouldn’t know) hidden behind this mystery thriller. It’s a film I find deeply disturbing, and even though I know every beat by heart, I always find myself deeply invested in the story.
To me Vertigo is more interesting to pull apart and talk about, Rear Window is the more completely realized film.
My vote goes to Rear Window
I'll say it: the sedentary setting of Rear Window with our protagonist perpetually in pajamas; the vicarious activities which our heroes witness, but mostly are not involved in; the greatest climax letdown of all time with Jimmy Stewart doing battle with - a flashbulb? - makes Rear Window a bit of a snooze. Vertigo on the other hand has kinetic action, a compelling detective mystery, a femme fatale, a psychedelic dream sequence, and enough sexual weirdness to make it an enigma we'll never solve and must revisit time and again. Vertigo by a longshot for me.
The pain of this matchup is lessened by the fact that I’ve already pondered Vertigo’s flaws and the icky place it leaves me in when I finish watching and voted against it, so it didn’t take me long to come down in favor of Hitchcock’s formal experiment in Rear Window and the delightful chemistry between Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart that has me fear for their safety through the whole film
One of the best things about this bracket is realizing that a lot of movie lovers, like me, aren’t as crazy about Vertigo as some people tell us we should be. I like Vertigo, but I have always felt like I am missing something because I much prefer Rear Window (and Psycho).
easy...Rear Window
Rear Window is delightful. Vertigo is weird. I vote delightful.