I saw this movie last night and enjoyed it for what it was--entertainment. My one concern is what is the father suppose to do after her realizes that the woman he loves and was about to marry is his daughter. He is obviously still in love with his dead wife (or the idea of her). How can he now look upon this woman as a daughter when he does not have fatherly feelings for her?
shareThe revelation that Sandra was his daughter made me queasy too. The film kind of sidestepped the incest issue though.
shareThe way I TRIED to look at this is he didn't really love the woman that way, he loved the idea of his wife coming back. They never had sex, he kissed her only once on the mouth (that was shown) but was not overly touchy-feely with her. I always hoped that he always felt something was wrong and that is why he was so out of it. I would have felt better if they scripted something in about him not having those kinds of feelings for her but wanting her in his life or something, but, it's just not a very good plot, simple as that. (see my other notes on this if you like)
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I agree Feego, but go a little further. I think the Robertson character is completely mad at the end. He finally understands that his business partner (whom he has just murdered) has loathed him and swindled him, and may even grasp that he was behind the original kidnapping. He's about to do Bujold in too at the airport, when she makes her revelation. He looks utterly perplexed and confused and even madder than ever (Stewart at the end of Vertigo; will he jump or embrace total madness?). The dizzying camera work emphasizes Robertson's emotional and mental state. The slight smile on the freeze frame could either be positive or the crack before the wild cackling laughter of complete insanity. Yet knowing Robertson's life-long obsession, the reality of having his daughter "returned" to him may be the one thing that keeps him sane.
I disagree that the film doesn't age well. I've always enjoyed it and still do (although admittedly the music is a bit bombastic, but I take that as part of DePalma's satirization while simultaneously paying homage to Hitchcock. Ditto the whole convoluted plot which makes a kind of warped sense). My favorite little detail is in Cortland's dream of marrying Sandra, the cake even has the Italian church front on it! I think the whiff of incest is left as is just to be disturbing.
The other DePalma film that is truly a joy to re-experience is Sisters. Its a hoot and a half.
Side bar issue in your response. I don't think Steward was contemplating jumping OR embracing madness. He is free of the situation, and he is free of his Vertigo.
shareHe didn't murder him, Lithgow was trying to kill HIM and he defended himself. And the music was a major turnoff.
Life is pain. Anyone who says differently is selling something.
In Vertigo the man wanted to have sex with a deceased as Hitch said. Here De Palma just doubles that up - he wants to have sex with a deceased and his daughter. De Palma probably and at least Schrader wanted this illustrated in an actual sex scene before he found out the truth but Litto objected and they had to do with the desire for incest insituated.
So I guess De Palma in the ending makes a joke on the fact that incestual desire not lived out is legal. Apart from the fact that Daddi will have to cope with his desires and transform them into fatherly love.
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For me the ending looks like comedy (as Scary movie or Naked gun). The fact that she is his real daughter is absolutly unrealistic. If she is his daughter, she will not be looking the same as his wife, she will be more innocent first of all. However she (perhapse) was in relations with pedophiles in Italy. And she became mature too early.
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