What begins as a standard Hitchcock mystery thriller is soon shockingly turned into an altogether different experience: a psychological insight into obsession and desire. Jimmy Stewart plays the increasingly confused and consumed detective 'Scotty' with his trademark Everyman charm, which makes his descend into frenzied obsession even more sinister. Kim Novak is the essential Hitchcock blond, falling foul of the whole sordid enterprise. Some good photography creating a San Fransisco of ambiguous serenity and a morose score by Bernard Hermann compliment a masterful work peering into the darker impulses of the human mind