North by Northwest (1959) (Movie Review)

  I’ve reviewed a number of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies, and TV programs on my Blog sight, but it occurs to me that after all these years, and all these post … I still have yet to talk about my absolute favorite of Alfred Hitchcock’s classics. 1959’s “North by Northwest” is often held in high regard as one of Hitchcock’s crowning achievements, and a motion picture classic all around. However, it’s also one of the great staples in Action and Adventure cinema, as it helped change the face of the genera, and inspired countless classics to follow. One could argue that the style, mood, and excitement of “North by Northwest” acted as a precursor to what would eventually become the James Bond film franchise. Whenever I watch this movie, I do get a subtle vibe that this could have been a James Bond picture, although if I’m being honest … I find this movie far more engaging and exciting then the majority of the early Bond pictures.

  Something Hitchcock was always fond of was mistaken-identity capers, and while this wasn’t the first movie to utilize the formula, I still look back on “North by Northwest” as the definitive classic “Cat and Mouse” thriller.

Our adventure focuses on an advertising executive named Roger O. Thornhill, who’s mistaken for a government agent by a group of terrorists. He's subsequently framed for murder at the United Nations building, forcing him to flee across the U.S., with both the police and enemy agents trying to kill him. The chase soon becomes a quest, as Roger looks for clues about the agent he’s been mistaken for, and discover what the villains are really after. Along the way, he partners-up with a mysterious young Blond woman named Eve, who may just be a government agent herself, or another enemy spy who’s taking advantage of his helpless situation. As things escalate, Roger leans that the agent he was mistaken for never existed, but sense he was already doing the job … he might as well become the guy he was initially trying to prove he wasn’t.

  For such an old 50’s classic, I still find this film highly engaging and fun to watch. Most modern viewers who are desensitized by breakneck pacing, huge explosions, and constant action may find this film a little slow by comparison … but still to this day, I find this a riveting piece of cinema. Granted the film is slow moving at times, but I find myself so invested in the story and this man’s situation, that I’m not even paying attention to the occasional lack of action. This is where Alfred Hitchcock really shines as one of cinemas most influential directors, because it’s the exciting premise laced with Hitchcock’s film-making that makes this picture so exciting and immersive. Take for example one of the film’s most iconic sequences, in which Roger is chased in an open field by a biplane.

While the sequence on its own is exciting enough, it’s the lengthy build-up to the chase that I find most engaging. You don’t get moments like this in action movies today, but just look at how brilliant this set-up is. Roger is dropped-off on the side of the road in which he’s told he’d meet an important contact, but he doesn’t know if the man he meets is friend or foe, so there’s already a sense of tension building. After waiting for a little while, another man is dropped-off on the opposite side of the road in front of him, and the movie holds on these two men just silently standing opposite one another. Rodger then finds the courage to approach the stranger, and as the camera dollies in on the man, the tension gradually builds. The stranger then turns out to be just an ordinary guy waiting for a pick-up, and just as his ride comes to fetch him, the man notes how odd it is to see a crop-duster off in the distance flying over a field with no crops. We then see Roger slowly putting the pieces together in his head on what’s about to transpire, and once the plane finally attacks, I feel like I’m right there in the moment. Also, for an action movie from the 50’s, this chase culminates into one heck of an explosion, with the plane crashing into an oil-truck on the road. Although, there is this one hilarious shot of our hero slowly running in the foreground, with the explosion behind him, and … it’s not a convincing effect.

  Along with Hitchcock’s direction, another important ingredient to this film’s enjoyment are its three main leads, who are brilliant in their respected roles. Cary Grant was a regular star in Hitchcock’s movies, and the two talents were still riding the high that was 1955’s “To Catch a Thief”. While this would mark their final collaboration, I think this was their best by far, and Cary Grant’s leading charm as Roger carries so much of the films appeal. His snappy comebacks, and rapid way of talking all feel natural, and it convinces me that someone with such a larger than life personality could find himself in a larger than life situation such as this. His wicked opponent in the movie is the enemy spies gang leader called James Vandamm, who’s played with juicy conviction by James Mason. While more subdued then Grants performance, he still matches his opposite with great charisma, and a restrained sense of menace. Lastly is Eva Marie Saint as the mysterious Eve Kendall, who’s the exciting wild card caught between the two. All three have a distinct screen appeal that compliments one another.  

  Yet another great talent I have to mention is music composer Bernard Herrmann, who is a legend when it comes to classic movie scores. 

He composed the music for classics like “Citizen Kane”, “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, “Jason and the Argonauts”, “Taxi Driver”, “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, and even the original TV series “The Twilight Zone”. He was also a regular composer for the majority of Hitchcock’s classics including “Psycho”, “The Man who Knew too Much”, “The Birds”, “Vertigo”, and of course “North by Northwest”. The reason for that little recap is because … I don’t say this lightly … but I think his score for “North by Northwest” might just be my favorite. His score adds so much to the overall exciting fun of the experience, and despite being edged in my mind as a classic soundtrack, I’m shocked it didn’t receive an Oscar nomination. The opening title sequence paired with this score is one of my personal favorites, and it gets me hooked right off the bat. It also leads to one of Hitchcock’s best cameo’s, as he appears just after his own directing card appears on screen. Another one of my favorite little moments is the frame-up at the UN, in which our hero is set-up to look like he put a knife in a man’s back. This is the kick-off moment in which I’m hooked for the adventure to follow, and the excitement of the moment is paired with this awesome overhead shot of our hero fleeing the building.     

  So, do I have any issues or reservations with this film … well … there are two little details that I don’t care for. First of all, fallowing the excitement of the UN frame-up, we cut to a lengthy scene with the FBI, who basically tell the audience that our hero is mistaken for a fake government agent, and I feel this scene spoils some of the mystery that I wanted to see unravel from our reluctant hero’s perspective. It also marked the only time the movie cuts away from our star, which I think was a mistake. Similar to Hitchcock's approach with "Rear Window", this movie puts us in our leads shoes, and cutting to a scene without him spoils the simulation. The second reservation I have with this film are the lengthy romantic scenes between our two leads. While the two have great chemistry, the tone and presentation of these scenes feel more fitting for a romantic comedy, and I feel they steel some of the fire form the films excitement. Granted, the film already conveys a sense of comedy, so it doesn’t clash too much with the established tone. Also, I’m all for some levity in an action film, and there are some amusing little highlights throughout. However, the goofy romance scenes, particularly the ones on the train … for me, just feel like they overstay their welcome.    

  At last, I have to mention the visually iconic climax, in which our two leads scale Mount Rushmore, in an effort to escape the pursuing villains. When it comes to historical landmarks and national monuments utilized in film, this final chase on Mount Rushmore can easily be placed among the top five greatest of them all. The shots, the angles, the build-up, the music, and tension are all solid feats of movie magic. My only problem comes in the form of this rough transition to the romantic epilogue. Again, playing to the film’s romantic comedy angle, we segue from this nail-biting cliffhanger, to this goofy romantic send-off, and it’s not a smooth transition at all. Regardless, this is still one of the great action movie climaxes, and an iconic set-piece that’s famously been spoofed in other movies and TV shows.

  For all my little reservations with the film, I still view “North by Northwest” as my personal favorite of Alfred Hitchcock’s highly influential filmography. It was a huge influence on one of my favorite genera’s, and I couldn’t imagine where adventure cinema would be today without this film. Despite all the tension, and excitement, this is one of Hitchcock’s lighter offerings, and it conveys a healthy sense of fun. Ironic that only one year later, Hitchcock would shock the world with 1960’s “Psycho”, which is arguably his darkest picture. “North by Northwest” went on to receive three Oscar nominations, for best written screenplay, best editing, and for best art director, with the focus on best set-decoration. From then on, the film has become a motion picture favorite, and one that I highly recommend modern viewers check out. It may not be as flashy or as consistently exciting as the action and adventure movies of today, but if you’re a fan of the genera, you owe it to yourself to see one of the influential classics that inspired countless action thrillers to follow.

Thanks for reading my review of Hitchcock’s 1959 Adventure classic “North by Northwest” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!