Sightseeing with Hitch
Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 6:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Instructor: Ray Saraceni, Ph.D., Eastern University
Scottie Ferguson has a problem—maybe more than one. A disabling fear of heights has forced him to resign from the San Francisco police department. At the same time, the wife of an old friend may be up to no good and Scottie becomes involved in a scheme to shadow her. What unfolds is a tale of mystery and violence, a film that deftly explores the space where unsettling obsession mixes with the preternatural.
Indeed, Vertigo (1958) is touched throughout with all the menace of an exquisite nightmare. Director Alfred Hitchcock has given us a film that is both murder mystery and sexually charged romantic drama: deviant, devious, and delicious. Likewise, Jimmy Stewart offers a performance unlike any other in his career: his private investigator is a decent sort, but also aloof, compulsive, and perhaps downright pathological. Atmosphere has never been more palpable nor more important in a Hitchcock picture, and San Francisco—captured in dreamy, color-saturated cinematography—has never looked better onscreen. An inspiration for subsequent directors from Brian De Palma to David Lynch, this strange, shape-shifting movie invites you to lose your balance and rediscover your love of the uncanny.
Are you interested in “just” seeing this movie? Visit the public screening page here.
Cinema Classics Seminars offer an entertaining and engaging way to learn more about some of the true classics of world cinema. All students receive an introductory lecture before the film and a guided discussion after the film. In addition, those in attendance receive a ticket to see it on the big screen, as well as popcorn and a drink. Please note: the screening associated with this seminar will be open to the public, as well.
Please contact BMFI Programs and Education Manager Jill Malcolm with any questions.
$30 for members, $40 for non-members
Schedule