SSC Film Studies

A doppelganger can be considered a “Ghostly image that comes by to haunt its living counterpart”. In vertigo, Judy can be seen as the doppelganger of Madeline, throughout the first half of the film, Scottie controls his desire and lust for Madeline and she can be seen as a virtue, whereas in the second half of the film, Scottie is controlling and aggressive towards Judy, making her change into what he wants her to be.

Hitchcock uses a lot of similar shots to create the Madeline figure using Judy, the shots of her coming out the bathroom compared to when Madeline comes out the bathroom in the first half of the film can be seen as a mirror image of when Judy is recreated as madeleine in the second half, Hitchcock uses lighting and colours to make Judy look like a ghostly figure.  Hitchcock uses cinematic techniques to repeat key events.