To see you (is to love you) – Novak variations is a prime example of the analytical potential of the mash-up format. In this video essay, published in Research in Film and History, John Gibbs brings together three movies. Two belong to cinema’s pantheon of masterpieces. The third one does not. Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954) and Vertigo (1958) are joined by Richard Quine’s Pushover (1954), a film of lesser stature. Yet this mash-up puts all three movies on equal footing and fuses them into a new proto-narrative. The video essay becomes an intersection of three sets, revealing the clichés, conventions, and casual sexism these films have in common.

The deft editing and equally thoughtful sound design create a new standalone short film. It has its own coherent narrative and geography, and even consistent character development. Because the footage is remarkably alike across the three films, Gibbs’ “variation” manages to follow the rules of match-on-action cutting with only minimal intervention. Some dialogue lines are almost verbatim across different films. Certain camera angles are identical, too (the forceful kisses in Pushover and Vertigo are a particularly striking example). All this adds to the flow of the piece.

Another result of Gibbs’ editing strategy is that he elevates Quine’s lesser-known film to the level of Hitchcock’s classics. It also reveals something about Hitchcock’s much-praised mastery of mise-en-scène. Similar craftsmanship could be found in films by less celebrated directors. Here, the mash-up becomes an exercise in cinematic emancipation. It shows how the format can challenge established hierarchies of film history.

Perhaps most strikingly, John Gibbs‘ video essay reveals the gender dynamics that run through many films of the era (and beyond). Male scopophilia is given a prominent role. Stalking is normalized. Male characters expect admiration for tired pick-up lines. It is not easy being Kim Novak in the fictional worlds of these three films. Nor was it easy for actresses working on male-dominated film sets in the 1950s.

A lighthearted post-credits scene offers a fitting coda. Lifted from Bell, Book and Candle (1958), another film directed by Richard Quine, it features Kim Novak lamenting the sorry state of the men she meets (and yearning for a better specimen). It is a great way to end the video essay. Not least because it features the leads from Vertigo in a film by the director of Pushover. The scene can even be read as a hopeful sign. With the same actors and one of the same directors, a film that is less male-centric was possible.