AFI Top 100: # 55
In honor of Alfred Hitchcock's birthday, I thought it was only appropriate to watch a film of his that I (shamefully) haven't seen before now and my god have I been missing out. North by Northwest has easily become my new favorite movie of his, as it puts his tense direction and masterful blend of genres at the forefront in ways that I have never seen. This film is a perfect blend of hilarious comedy and thrilling adventure that I was not expecting at all. While it is much more expansive than many other films of his, it only continuously proves how brilliant of a mind he has when it comes to world-building. Despite its lengthy runtime compared to other works of his, I was never bored and never felt less than entertained and especially for a film that set many standards for thrillers to come, this was exceptional. Along with absolutely excellent performances from Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint, this will continue to impress me upon many rewatches and I can already tell that it will be a new favorite.
Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is a high-level advertising executive who is kidnapped one day after being mistaken for a man named George Kaplan. Thornhill is taken to the house of a foreign smuggler named Vandamm (James Mason) and questioned but when they do not believe he is telling the truth, he escapes and goes on a cross-country trip along with a dashing woman named Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) in order to escape and clear his name. This film, more than anything, has set the bar incredibly high for spy thrillers of future generations and I loved how this entire story played out. It almost felt like a James Bond story in and of itself and while Grant's protagonist of Thornhill might not be as suave or charming, it definitely made the story humorous. North by Northwest is a fantastic, map-trotting adventure and I can easily see how it has inspired so many blockbusters of today but the part about Ernest Lehman's script that stood out to me the most was by far its humor. This film was authentically funny and whether it came from Thornhill being a goofball or the situational antics these characters find themselves in, it all worked together flawlessly. Very few, classic directors are able to manage this culmination of genre and I was honestly shocked at how well it all worked together. His direction is wonderful and my biggest takeaway is that anyone can tell he is having the time of his life. While this film is not contained in one place or revolves around a certain location, it becomes a huge adventure film, and all the better for it. It was more than entertaining to watch than other of his films, which does not necessarily demean the quality of them, but rather says that this movie is just a blast all around. Even though this film could have ended in multiple spots and felt a bit long at parts, it never ceased to be a grand time. By its conclusion, it is realized that every scene is necessary and that the way this story builds is wonderful and could not have been done by anyone but Hitchcock himself. And thank god for any director who decides to utilize Cary Grant as an absolute himbo.
You can't have an exciting, spy thriller without a likable lead and whether or not that person radiates sex appeal (à la James Bond like previously mentioned) or not is up to the director and thankfully, Hitchcock knew that Grant needed none of that to carry this film. His performance is extraordinary and I love how he embodies both the cluelessness yet good-hearted nature of this character. Thornhill was such a simple character to root for and one that I found myself consistently amused with. Eva Marie Saint's performance as Eve was phenomenal as well and she steals this film with her supporting role very well. The best technical part of this film was the cinematography from Robert Burks. He uses many similar shots throughout the movie to help characterize both the personalities of these characters and to assist in setting the tone and I loved how fluent and just fun his cinematography was. He was also very able to catch the humor that permeates this film within his camera work and he does so in ways that I had not seen in films this early. His sweeping movements and incredibly quick pan-ins worked so well to make the audience feel for the completely misguided character of Thornhill and I definitely appreciated that. Visual storytelling is one of a film's greatest strengths and it is often much more important than the script itself. Such a classic example can be seen in the cropduster scene that Burks shot, as it relies on the camera and performance from Grant entirely. Along with the editing by George Tomasini, this iconic scene alone defines this whole film. The spacious farmlands being the vast area explored by Hitchcock and the slow but meaningful cuts being the tension that builds throughout this film are only some of the elements of this masterfully-cut sequence. Although rarely any words were spoken, Hitchcock and his technical collaborators work together in such a fantastic way that makes North by Northwest shine incredibly bright in a filmography typically associated with dark horror and suspense.
North by Northwest is Hitchcock's absolute masterpiece and I am thoroughly surprised that it is not as acclaimed or remembered as much as his other films. It definitely deserves its spot on the AFI's Top 100 list and while it is only placed at #55, I think many would agree that it is far better than that. I adore this movie and even though it is unafraid to show its lengthiness, which could dissuade many viewers, there is so much clever filmmaking behind the scenes and choices made in the cinematography and performances that make this film nothing short of a masterpiece.
My Rating: ★★★★★
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