Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and the Pygmalion Myth Reconsidered
Alfred Hitchcock’s film Vertigo (1958) has attracted the interest of classical reception scholars because of its adaptation of Ovid’s Pygmalion myth. Scottie, the film’s main character, has been interpreted as a re-enactment of Pygmalion, a character in the Metamorphoses who sculpted his ideal woman...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Portuguese |
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Coimbra University Press
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Boletim de Estudos Clássicos |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://impactum-journals.uc.pt/bec/article/view/8046 |
| _version_ | 1818398877048373248 |
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| author | Silvio Friedrich Bär |
| author_facet | Silvio Friedrich Bär |
| author_sort | Silvio Friedrich Bär |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Alfred Hitchcock’s film Vertigo (1958) has attracted the interest of classical reception scholars because of its adaptation of Ovid’s Pygmalion myth. Scottie, the film’s main character, has been interpreted as a re-enactment of Pygmalion, a character in the Metamorphoses who sculpted his ideal woman out of ivory. In this article, the idea of a direct line of reception from Ovid to Hitchcock is challenged. Rather, the principal model of the film is identified as George Bernard Shaw’s drama Pygmalion (1913). However, Ovid’s Pygmalion story does constitute a model for the film as well, though it does so on a more indirect level. In fact, all the film’s main characters display Ovidian traits. These add an extra layer of meaning to the understanding of the film and the complexity of its characters, and allow for an unexpected re-interpretation of Scottie and his desires. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T07:11:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-74fe977d956e40a7a9dece0831400ac6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0872-2110 2183-7260 |
| language | Portuguese |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T07:11:46Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | Coimbra University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Boletim de Estudos Clássicos |
| spelling | doaj.art-74fe977d956e40a7a9dece0831400ac62022-12-21T23:11:48ZporCoimbra University PressBoletim de Estudos Clássicos0872-21102183-72602020-11-016510.14195/2183-7260_65_5Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and the Pygmalion Myth ReconsideredSilvio Friedrich Bär0University of OsloAlfred Hitchcock’s film Vertigo (1958) has attracted the interest of classical reception scholars because of its adaptation of Ovid’s Pygmalion myth. Scottie, the film’s main character, has been interpreted as a re-enactment of Pygmalion, a character in the Metamorphoses who sculpted his ideal woman out of ivory. In this article, the idea of a direct line of reception from Ovid to Hitchcock is challenged. Rather, the principal model of the film is identified as George Bernard Shaw’s drama Pygmalion (1913). However, Ovid’s Pygmalion story does constitute a model for the film as well, though it does so on a more indirect level. In fact, all the film’s main characters display Ovidian traits. These add an extra layer of meaning to the understanding of the film and the complexity of its characters, and allow for an unexpected re-interpretation of Scottie and his desires.https://impactum-journals.uc.pt/bec/article/view/8046OvidMetamorphosesPygmalionAlfred HitchcockVertigo |
| spellingShingle | Silvio Friedrich Bär Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and the Pygmalion Myth Reconsidered Boletim de Estudos Clássicos Ovid Metamorphoses Pygmalion Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo |
| title | Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and the Pygmalion Myth Reconsidered |
| title_full | Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and the Pygmalion Myth Reconsidered |
| title_fullStr | Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and the Pygmalion Myth Reconsidered |
| title_full_unstemmed | Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and the Pygmalion Myth Reconsidered |
| title_short | Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo and the Pygmalion Myth Reconsidered |
| title_sort | alfred hitchcock s vertigo and the pygmalion myth reconsidered |
| topic | Ovid Metamorphoses Pygmalion Alfred Hitchcock Vertigo |
| url | https://impactum-journals.uc.pt/bec/article/view/8046 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT silviofriedrichbar alfredhitchcocksvertigoandthepygmalionmythreconsidered |