There’s a lot to love about classic Hollywood film star Kim Novak. Her love of animals, her impressive body of work in painting, and her determination to stand up for herself as a young actress in the heavily sexist 1950s. Now 92 years young, Novak attended the Venice Film Festival this weekend for twin honors: the premiere of a documentary about her called Kim Novak’s Vertigo (named for the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock film, arguably her most famous role) and the festival bestowing upon her their lifetime achievement award. The Guardian just interviewed Novak to celebrate these milestones, but Novak didn’t shy away from making some stark yet insightful comments on Hollywood and the world at large today. She recalled an unpleasant cyber encounter with the current president, after Novak made a rare appearance at the 2014 Oscars with some notable, not great facework done. In his signature vile style, Trump tweeted that Novak “should sue her cosmetic surgeon!” Well, she may not have directly responded to the Bronzer Queen back then, but Novak minced no words now in calling Trump a bully.
“I’ve always had a strong feeling against bullies,” she says. “How I feel about the president has got nothing to do with what he said about me at the Academy Awards. I didn’t like what he said, and that’s when I spoke up about bullies. But since then he has become way more than just a bully. While I tolerated what he said and didn’t speak back to him on that, I will not tolerate what he’s telling me and everyone else to do.”
“Dictatorships are taking over the world, including in the US,” she adds. “Too many people are not standing up for their rights and for what matters in life, like truth and honour and decency. For our democracy and freedoms.
“I cannot tell you how strongly I feel about this. People are afraid to speak out, and I understand. But we’ve got to stand together and make ourselves heard.”
That instinct that drives Novak to speak out now was present in the ways she challenged the system at the height of her career – including creating her own production company and going on strike over a salary that was lower than that of her male co-stars. Announcing her award, the Venice film festival director Alberto Barbera called her “a rebel at the heart of Hollywood”.
Does she believe progress has been made for women in the industry today? “We make progress, but unfortunately then we always go back,” she says. “It inevitably always goes back to sex appeal. It still matters too much how we look. Social media and AI are able to show all kinds of stuff that isn’t real. They’re today’s bad directors, trying to remake women.”
…And how would she like to be remembered? She pauses. “I would like them to think that I was true to myself. That I kept my standards high and lived by them.”
“Social media and AI are able to show all kinds of stuff that isn’t real. They’re today’s bad directors, trying to remake women.” Hot damn! Novak just succinctly and brilliantly whittled the crux of what’s bad with social media and AI down to its essence, and quelle surprise, it comes with a heaping pile of misogyny. Anyway, The Guardian’s article certainly did their job in making me want to see the new documentary whenever it comes out (no release date has been announced yet). In the meantime I guess I can rewatch Vertigo, which in all honesty, I’ve never really looked upon favorably. When some people a few years back started naming it as the greatest film of all time, over Citizen Kane, my retort was, “Vertigo isn’t even the greatest Hitchcock film of all time!” I’m probably not supposed to say that as A) a cinephile, and B) a daughter of San Francisco, but it’s my truth! I always found it more creepy/eerie than scary (no doubt enhanced by Bernard Herrmann’s iconic score), and Barbara Bel Geddes’s depiction of supporting character Midge just shattered me. (Don’t be so hard on yourself, Midge!) But it’s been many years, maybe the movie will land differently for me now.
Photos credit: Ottavia Da Re/Agenzia Sintesi/Avalon, Dave Bedrosian/Future Image/Cover Images, Getty
I liked other hitchcock films better thab vertigo including the thirty n i n e steps. The lady vanishes. Rear window. Rebecca. North by northwest
I think Shadow of a Doubt was his best, and in some interviews he agreed. Probably because he wasn’t distracted by creeping on the young blonde actress he had chosen to star/be tormented, as was his usual wont.
AI reflects the biases of the people who build it and it’s largely being built by tech bros which is why it’s racist and misogynistic.
My favorite Hitchcock movie is Rear Window. And Alfred Hitchcock Presents is my favorite TV show of all time.
I hate Vertigo, always felt Jimmy Stewart was miscast.
Agree.
Aw, be fair! 😂😂 Vertigo is a brilliant (unwitting) takedown of toxic masculinity. And how men are never ever satisfied even when they get their dream women because said men are screwed up beyond repair. It’s more a horror/ghost story than a thriller. Stewart is terrifying because he’s every All-American “nice guy” whose entitlement has consumed him. (Wow. Bros before there were Bros. 😉) Agreed that Citizen Kane is still the better movie, but Vertigo deserves high props as well…
@Deering24 beautifully said! Agree on everything. I thought casting Jimmy Stewart was a great decision.