Representation of Madeleine and Midge [DRAFT]

Representation of Madeleine and Midge

I will be analysing the scene where Scottie and we are introduced to Madeleine whilst she is in the restaurant, the audience are first introduced to Madeleine when the shot tracks to reveal a number of guests in the restaurant. The other guests are all seen wearing generic, grey suits/dresses, the audience are quickly drawn to Madeleine as she is dressed in a sexualised green sash, the camera is immediately drawn to Madeleines exposed back and shoulders. This is significant because it further proves that she is constantly being sexualised by the camera/Hitchcock.

Before Scottie sees Madeleine he is seen slouched in his chair, however when he notices her he immediately stands up and the background beings to flash red: this connotes Scottie's lust for Madeleine and how he believes he may have found the thing that will help him regain his masculinity. The camera continuously switches from Madeleine to Scottie, however as it switches it is tracking Madeleine, this was done to represent Scotties longing to get closer to her and how she is being constantly gazed at by Scottie and the audience. Madeleine is a representation of the ideal woman in the eyes of Hitchcock (this point is important because during filming Hitchcock became enticed with Kim Novak).

After Madeleine leaves the restaurant there is a shot where she stands directly in the centre, to the audience she appears as a portrait (in particular the portrait of Carlotta which is a continuous symbol within the film), this isn't the only time this is done within the sequence as when she eventually comes into contact with Scottie she walks past a mirror: this reinforces the belief that she is the ideal woman and the constant subject of male gaze, however it also foreshadows future events and suggests to the audience that Madeleine is more than just a two-dimensional aesthetic character.

Throughout the sequence were are denied a point of view from Madeleine, this is because her main purpose for the narrative is to help Scottie regain his masculinity, if a point of view of Madeleine was given the audience may be less likely to align with Scottie and support his endeavours to claim Madeleine because it will look strange to the audience if they see Scottie weirdly gazing and becoming more enticed with Madeleine.

The next scene I will be analysing the scene where Scottie and Midge are in Midges apartment and she is trying to help him overcome his acrophobia. Alike the scene with Madeleine we are given no point of view shots from Midge, however unlike the last scene we are denied a point of view shot from Scottie, this is because Scottie views Midge as a neutral character and not as an object of his affections.