Paradise Lost (then Found, then Lost Again): San Francisco in Film

People will cry “bullshit!” if you don’t have a shot of the Golden Gate Bridge in a San Francisco film. This enormous incandescent structure represents the whole of the Bay Area. With its’ orange veneer the Golden Gate balances its’ industrial 30’s deco with a beautiful charismatic surface. For the past 150 years San Francisco has attempted to maintain its’ beauty against modernization. It’s this beauty that makes San Francisco a unique location for films of intrigue.

Gorgeous vistas decorate Vertigo’s interior scenes, whether it is a trip to the Palace of Fine Arts or merely down the sloped streets of San Francisco. Hitchcock uses the serene settings as contrast to enhance the drama of the later scenes. He loved to build tension in the audience’s unease over the idea that something big can happen at anytime. Director David Fincher does much the same affect in Zodiac. When two day-trippers on a picnic by a lake, gorgeous and serene, are brutally murdered, Fincher sends the message, “I don’t care how pretty it is, you are no longer safe in this movie.”

Darkness enshrouds San Francisco in both films. Not surprising though is Zodiac's serial killer tale takes place almost exclusively at night. A perfect device for suspense, darkness gives us the feeling of a character’s being vulnerable, anyone can be lurking in the shadows. Vertigo begins and ends just before sunrise, darkness is used sparingly. When it is used it’s a tool to illustrate Jimmy Stewart’s vulnerability; both its’ origin and when he must drastically overcome it.

The whole visage of Vertigo dims as the film progresses (even after restoration). The theme being as the film progresses the story becomes more glooming and depressing, as such the film’s color and look adapts with it. The same can be said for Zodiac, this time the director introduces rain and other natural elements as thematic cues for dread. The idea being when San Francisco stops being pretty, watch out!

San Francisco might be a beautiful place to live (especially if you're a cop since apparently 75% of the population in movies are cops), but an even better place to stage a drama. Peaceful and serene with wonderful weather and a magnificent view make San Fransisco the antithesis of "Murderville," and that's what makes it paradise for film.