North by Northwest [1959]

Though spoken in the same breath, North by Northwest was a rather straight-forward mainstream film when compared to Rear Window, Psycho and Vertigo, in terms of thematic exploration or subversion of the medium. Nevertheless, there’s no denying the sheer viewing pleasure associated with this rollicking mystery-thriller. Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), a suave advertising executive, is having just another day at office when, through a rather innocuous misunderstanding, he is thrown right into the middle of an international Cold War espionage ring and conspiracy. Taken for a spy and with his well-set life crumbling by the minute because of the bizarre chain of events, he is forced to go on the run from the bad guys. On the way he meets the seductive blonde Eva Kendall (Eva Marie Saint), an enigmatic femme fatale who is more than what meets the eyes. Finding himself charmed by the mysterious Eva, and with nothing to lose, he slowly begins the process of reversing his spectacular downward spiral and ironic predicament. The film was an audio-visual spectacle and filled with a number of memorable moments – the breathtaking sequence where the unsuspecting Thornhill gets attacked by a crop-dusting place is part of cinematic folklore, while the cheekily humorous auction sequence was also wonderfully done. The implausible plot developments, especially the outlandish and over-the-top climax at Mount Rushmore, and tad unrealistic acting by the cast, were among the weakest aspects in this otherwise breezy, gloriously photographed entertainer made on the simple premise of mistaken identity forcing an ordinary man in an extraordinary situation, and filled with wit, double entendres, and MacGuffins on the way.

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Genre: Thriller/Mystery/Spy Film/Romantic Thriller
Language: English
Country: US