The museum exits into the cemetery itself. By 1850 there was only one Ramaytush left alive.Ī small museum records sanitised highlights of the mission’s history – for a while in the 1840s and 1850s under Mexican rule it became a hotel and a gambling den, and bullfights were held on the plaza where Dolores Street now stands. Visit the cool, dark chapel interior with its unique Spanish-Mexican decoration and ceiling painting based on the designs of the Ramaytush people – dubbed Costanoans (“coast dwellers”) by the ‘kindly’ Spanish Franciscans who occupied their land, resettled them and oversaw their complete extinction. One of the 21 Californian missions established by the Spanish in the 18th century and the oldest intact survivor, its four-foot thick adobe walls having withstood the worst assaults of San Andreas, the mission of St Francis of Assisi is not only the oldest building in San Francisco but gives the city its name. Once you’ve seen the ornate exterior, you can forget the pompous basilica which was grafted on next door in 1913, the real interest here is the Misión San Francisco De Asis, completed in 1791. Vertigo filming location: Madeleine visits the grave of Carlotta Valdes: Mission Dolores, Dolores Street, San Francisco Starting out as as a conventional enough thriller, with ex-cop Scottie ( James Stewart) hired by worried husband Gavin Elster to keep an eye on the bizarre behaviour of his wife, Madeleine ( Kim Novak), acrophobia segues imperceptibly into the fear of sex and of death as Scottie becomes Hitchcock-by-proxy, recreating and controlling his unattainable object of desire. The vertiginous streets (‘falling‘ in love), coupled with the cool, misty light make San Francisco the perfect backdrop for Alfred Hitchcock‘s obsessive romance, and most of the film‘s locations can still be found in the city.

▶ Old Mission of San Juan Bautista, 406 2nd Street, San Juan Bautista, CA 95045 ( the mission Madeleine claims to remember).

▶ Big Basin Redwoods State Park, 21600 Big Basin Way, Boulder Creek, CA 95006 ( standing in for 'Muir Woods').

▶ 259 Post Street, Union Square, San Francisco, CA 94108 ( site of Ransohoff's fashion store).

▶ Palace of Fine Arts, 3601 Lyon Street, Marina District, CA 94123 ( Scottie and Judy stroll by the pool).

▶ Hotel Vertigo, 940 Sutter Street, Lower Nob Hill, San Francisco, CA 94109 ( was 'Hotel Empire', where Judy Barton stays).

▶ 351 Buena Vista Avenue East, The Castro, San Francisco, CA 94117 ( 'sanatorium' where Scottie recovers).

▶ 900 Lombard Street, Russian Hill, San Francisco, CA 94133 ( Scottie's house).

▶ Fort Point, Long Avenue & Marine Drive, San Francisco, CA 94129 ( Scottie rescues Madeleine from the Bay).

▶ Mission Dolores, 320 Dolores Street at Sixteenth Street, Mission District ( Madeleine visits the grave of Carlotta Valdez).▶ Palace of the Legion of Honor, Legion of Honor Drive, Lincoln Park, San Francisco, CA 94121 ( Madeleine gazes at the portrait of Carlotta).▶ 224 Grant Avenue, Financial District, San Francisco, CA 94108 ( site of flower shop).▶ Claude Lane, Financial District, San Francisco, CA 94108 ( alleyway behind flower shop).▶ Brocklebank Apartments, 1000 Mason Street, Nob Hill, San Francisco, CA 94108 ( Scottie tails Madeleine from her apartment).▶ 847 Montgomery Street, Financial District, San Francisco, CA 94133 ( site of Ernie's restaurant).I have always been her fan, and although she had more famous projects like The Wailing/One day/Argon/Be Melodramatic, I still think this is her BEST role to date after Han Gongju. Also great music that heightens moments of hopelessness and depression.Ĭhun Woo-hee carried another big role after Han Gongju, and she totally delivered. The filming angle is particularly accurate when portraying 'vertigo' from the female lead's view point. I don't say it's a 'love story', but more like a human story, about how even very simple things can save someone's life. The story of our female lead feels too familiar, I think any office lady around 20-30 can relate to her somehow even without having vertigo. The sorrow sinks deep in your heart even after ending. The film is slow-paced, slice-of-life, nothing dramatic, but the tone is heavy and sad throughout.

Rewatch Value 9.5 I watched this a few days ago.

Vertigo cast