North by Northwest (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'North by Northwest' (directed by Alfred Hitchcock) follows NYC ad exec Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) as he is inexplicably caught in a sticky web of intrigue when he's mistaken for government spy "George Kaplan". He is forced to embark on a cross-country adventure, ahem, nightmare; including being abducted by armed men; being interrogated by the mysterious Phillip Vandamm (the cultured James Mason); being force-fed bourbon and put behind the wheel of a car so that he drives off of a cliff; getting arrested for drunk driving; getting his own mother to believe his story; going on the run for a murder charge; going through tireless efforts to clear his name, as well as being helped (and sometimes hindered) by beautiful blonde, Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint).
Has Eve fallen for his charms, or is she as innocent as she seems? Hitchcock, aided by some stunning color cinematography, unique production design, & Bernard Hermann's insistent musical score, does a great job of drawing us, the viewers, into the proceedings, with the atmosphere heightened by Grant's suave & charming turn as the increasingly perplexed main character. It's fun watching & sympathizing with our protagonist because we know he's sane, no one believes his seemingly preposterous story, & he's clearly (or is he?) the victim of some conspiracy; even though we have no idea what the conspiracy is. If I have issue(s) with the film, it would be that I don't think that this story needed a 136 minute running time; and I also thought that the eye-popping climax concluded too quickly.
See, Hitchcock had a penchant for superfluous scenes sprinkled throughout his films. A lot of the film is devoted to talky, uneventful stretches. Now, one critique I've read (though, there have been very few) is that the love story btwn. Cary Grant & Eva Marie Saint feels chilly; that while Saint is a stellar actress, she doesn't exude the kind of warmth that seems necessary. I disagree. I like that she isn't some dainty, googly-eyed love interest. She's smart, strong, and doesn't take a back seat in the action department, either. As mentioned above, the production design is pretty mind-blowing. Most of the film was shot on soundstages; like scenes inside the U.N. & the impressive Mt. Rushmore scene. But that outdoor cornfield sequence was real, and wonderfully realized, as well.
So, this is a film whose sum is greater than some of its parts. And while I was irked by those few aspects, there are also quite a few undeniably engrossing sequences. 1) The legendary crop-duster scene, in which Cary Grant runs, dodges, & hides from a murderous propeller plane in a cornfield. 2) A humorous scene in which Grant races through a hospital room and a female patient screams, "Hey, stop!!!", only to realize how good looking he is and then says longingly ... "stop" {haha}. 3) A great scene in a stylish mansion where Cary Grant tries to get Saint's attention by tossing a matchbook at her. 4) And of course, the big Mount Rushmore finale; in which our protagonist must scale the mountain while being pursued by Vandamm's henchmen.
As I said earlier, that climax it felt a bit rushed. The ensuing final scene on a train was also over in an all-too-soon blip {albeit, a funny blip}. So this film needed breathing room in some sections, but cuts in other sections. The end result is an uneven, yet wildly engaging thriller with a nifty script. Alfred Hitchcock's stylish direction, Cary Grant's compelling portrayal, Eva Marie Saint's questionable nature, James Mason's calm menace, and the look/feel of the film help 'North by Northwest' overcome its faults. There's a great blend of mystery, suspense, romance, & dark comedy at play. And it's one of my favorite Hitchcock movies.
Has Eve fallen for his charms, or is she as innocent as she seems? Hitchcock, aided by some stunning color cinematography, unique production design, & Bernard Hermann's insistent musical score, does a great job of drawing us, the viewers, into the proceedings, with the atmosphere heightened by Grant's suave & charming turn as the increasingly perplexed main character. It's fun watching & sympathizing with our protagonist because we know he's sane, no one believes his seemingly preposterous story, & he's clearly (or is he?) the victim of some conspiracy; even though we have no idea what the conspiracy is. If I have issue(s) with the film, it would be that I don't think that this story needed a 136 minute running time; and I also thought that the eye-popping climax concluded too quickly.
See, Hitchcock had a penchant for superfluous scenes sprinkled throughout his films. A lot of the film is devoted to talky, uneventful stretches. Now, one critique I've read (though, there have been very few) is that the love story btwn. Cary Grant & Eva Marie Saint feels chilly; that while Saint is a stellar actress, she doesn't exude the kind of warmth that seems necessary. I disagree. I like that she isn't some dainty, googly-eyed love interest. She's smart, strong, and doesn't take a back seat in the action department, either. As mentioned above, the production design is pretty mind-blowing. Most of the film was shot on soundstages; like scenes inside the U.N. & the impressive Mt. Rushmore scene. But that outdoor cornfield sequence was real, and wonderfully realized, as well.
So, this is a film whose sum is greater than some of its parts. And while I was irked by those few aspects, there are also quite a few undeniably engrossing sequences. 1) The legendary crop-duster scene, in which Cary Grant runs, dodges, & hides from a murderous propeller plane in a cornfield. 2) A humorous scene in which Grant races through a hospital room and a female patient screams, "Hey, stop!!!", only to realize how good looking he is and then says longingly ... "stop" {haha}. 3) A great scene in a stylish mansion where Cary Grant tries to get Saint's attention by tossing a matchbook at her. 4) And of course, the big Mount Rushmore finale; in which our protagonist must scale the mountain while being pursued by Vandamm's henchmen.
As I said earlier, that climax it felt a bit rushed. The ensuing final scene on a train was also over in an all-too-soon blip {albeit, a funny blip}. So this film needed breathing room in some sections, but cuts in other sections. The end result is an uneven, yet wildly engaging thriller with a nifty script. Alfred Hitchcock's stylish direction, Cary Grant's compelling portrayal, Eva Marie Saint's questionable nature, James Mason's calm menace, and the look/feel of the film help 'North by Northwest' overcome its faults. There's a great blend of mystery, suspense, romance, & dark comedy at play. And it's one of my favorite Hitchcock movies.