Theme from middle of Vertigo, a Hitchcock film (5)
I believe the answer is:
trope
'theme' is the definition.
(trope can mean a theme or idea)
'middle of vertigo a hitchcock film' is the wordplay.
'middle of' indicates the central letters.
'a hitchcock film' becomes 'Rope' (1948 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock).
The central letter of 'vertigo' is 't'.
't'+'rope'='TROPE'
'from' is the link.
(Other definitions for trope that I've seen before include "Figurative use of a word, metaphor" , "Figurative use of a word or expression; motif" , "Word or expression used in a figurative way" , "Recurrent theme, motif" , "literary effect" .)