Vertigo / The Untouchables

VERTIGO, 1958, Universal, 128 min. Showcasing Kim Novak in a startling dual role, VERTIGO finds suspended San Francisco detective "Scottie" Ferguson (James Stewart) becoming obsessed with Madeleine Elster (Novak), a troubled woman he is privately hired to follow. Tragedy ensues, and when Ferguson later stumbles upon Judy Barton, a young woman who bears a striking resemblance to Madeleine, his obsession spirals out of control.

THE UNTOUCHABLES, 1987, Paramount, 119 min. Dir. Brian De Palma. Kevin Costner is treasury agent Eliot Ness, Robert De Niro is his nemesis Al Capone, and Sean Connery is the grizzled cop who does things “the Chicago way” as bullets fly in dynamic, expertly staged action sequences. De Palma’s bloody riff on BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN’s “Odessa steps” sequence alone is worth the price of admission.