What’s With The Colors Green and Red in ‘Vertigo’?

I am sitting down to write this article after leaving the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, which showed a brand new print of Vertigo last night, and currently has a Vertigo exhibit inside the museum.

To say I’m high on Hitchcock would be an understatement.

One of the things our host for the evening pointed out was the use of color in the movie. This film came out at a time where Hollywood and the world were embracing color.

And Hitchcock said of the change, “I am whole-heartedly in favor of color films. Color will give me a chance to portray what I want to portray most—lack of color,” he continued, “I know that sounds paradoxical, but think it over. How can I show the drabness of a slum street compared with the glory of a lovely landscape when I must photograph them both in tones of grey?”

Vertigo feels like the technicolor answer to this quote. But it’s not just a pretty movie to look at—not only that, its color choice mean something, too.

Today, I want to go over the colors of red and green in the movie and discuss what they mean.

If you haven’t seen the movie, go do that now. there will be spoilers.

Let’s dive in.

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The Colors in ‘Vertigo’

It goes without saying Vertigo is one of the greatest movies of all time, with everyone at the top of their game. Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak are incredible as a couple going back and forth between reality and obsession.

Hitchcock’s direction and the spooky melancholia of the cinematography are sumptuous.

Not many people know this, but Saul Bass not only did the poster and titles, but was also the color consultant on the film. That means he had a lot of say when it came to what hit the screen as well. His collaboration with Hitchcock on this film makes it one of the best all time.

This is a good place to say that all color psychology is completely subjective. You don’t have to agree with me on what this stuff means. That’s what makes art so great.

The two dominant colors in this movie are red and green.

So, what do I think they mean?

Green in ‘Vertigo’

The color green is used throughout Vertigo, specifically around the character of Madeline. When we meet her, she’s in a green dress. she drives a green car, and later, in the film’s most famous shot, she’s shrouded in neon green light and darkness.

There are lots of theories about when the green means, but I think the most straightforward one is that its deception.

Madeline is deceiving Scotty when she sees him the first time. And she continues to deceive him while wearing green throughout the movie. After Madeline’s death, we introduce Judy in green, standing between two green cars.

And later, when Judy begs Scotty to love her for who she is and not for the past, she’s bathed in green light, showing us that the past still shrouds her.

My main argument for green symbolizing deceit comes from when Scotty himself wears the green.

It’s after Madeline’s fake suicide attempt. When Scotty brings her back to his place, he changes into a green sweater, when he lies to her about being the good samaritan who saved her.

This transition of green, now highlighting the lies of Scotty, shows its a conscious choice by Bass and Hitchcock.

But in that same scene, we see Madeline don a red robe…

So, what does the red in Vertigo mean?

Red in ‘Vertigo’

Red is an interesting one, I have heard people say they think it’s love, because it highlights how Scotty sees Madeline, enshrouded with love.

But for me, I think the red signifies blood.

When we see Madeline for the first time, in her green dress, she’s trapped in the red background of Ernies, like she’s stuck inside a beating heart.

Later, when she’s wrapped in that red robe, I think it feels like she’s covered in blood—even from a fake suicide, we can interpret this fatalistic coloration.

Later, when the fake Madeline falls out of the church steeple, she falls onto a red roof and dies. Later, the same happens to Judy.

Red even covers Midge in Vertigo. It’s the color of her top when she reveals her painting of herself as Carlotta, which sends Scotty into a panic. Even though we never see Midge die on screen, that scene kills their relationship. We never see them happy together or flirt ever again in the movie.

She’s proverbially bleeding for Scotty in that moment and he doesn’t care.

Even Scotty’s front door to his apartment is red, marked as the sacrificial lamb of the story, the unwitting detective who gets caught up in this mess.

Summing Up The Colors of Vertigo

Whether you’re talking red or green, Vertigo is a spectacular movie that greatly benefits you on repeat viewings.

Alfred Hitchcock and Saul Bass were both at the top of their game when they devised the colors that went into making this film such a deep and nuanced experience.

Let me know what you think about red and green (noticeably used not for Christmas) in the comments.