Summary:
North by Northwest is a classic thriller with a great leading man, a compelling storyline and some terrific set-pieces.
More DetailsAbout North by Northwest (1959)
Cary Grant is the screen’s supreme man-on-the-run in his fourth and final teaming with director Alfred Hitchcock. He plays a Manhattan adman plunged into a realm of spy (James Mason) and counterspy (Eva Marie Saint) and variously abducted, framed for murder, chased and in a signature set-piece, crop-dusted. He also hangs for dear life from the facial features of Mount Rushmore’s Presidents. Savor one of Hollywood’s most enjoyable thrillers ever in this State-of-the-Art Restoration: its Renewed Picture and Audio Vitality will leave you just as breathless as the chase itself.
Starring: Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Runtime: 136 minutes
Studio: Warner Home Video
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Review: North by Northwest
I’m ashamed to say this is my first experience of Hitchcock. I must have grown up in a town that has never seen a television or something. It’s hard to know where to start with the legendary director but I felt this was a good place. The story focuses on an advertising executive Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) who is mistaken for George Kaplan and subsequently kidnapped. He meets with Lester Townsend (James Mason) at his rich estate. Townsend has his assistant Leonard (Martin Landau) get rid of Roger when he has no information of use. Roger escapes and after bringing the police back to Townsend’s residence his claims of kidnapping are dismissed as drunken ramblings. It turns out Roger never met with Lester Townsend but with Phillip Vandamm. Roger’s life is in danger as Vandamm’s henchmen try to kill him and worse follows when Roger seeks out the real Lester Townsend only to witness him murdered and Roger winds up on the front page of the newspapers with a knife in his hand. He is forced to go on the run, evade the authorities, find Kaplan and clear his name.
During his search for Kaplan, Roger meets Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) who is keen to help him and a romance of sorts begins to form between them but can Roger trust her or anyone he now meets? As Roger delves deeper into his search for Kaplan he becomes a useful asset to a spy, the Professor (Leo G. Carroll) who has some staggering revelations in store for Roger. The question is does he find the elusive Kaplan? What of Eve? Will Vandamm and Leonard be brought to justice? Poor Roger has many death defying moments to negotiate before he can find the answers.
I knew so much about North by Northwest from articles and word of mouth. The classic scene with the crop duster did not disappoint and the final scenes at Mount Rushmore are tense and exciting. Grant is perfectly cast as Roger and takes the character through a variety of experiences with great skill. He is both serious, amusing, drunk, romantic and an amateurish action hero all rolled into one. All in a day’s work for an advertising executive. The rest of the cast provide good support and I even chuckled when I spotted a brief cameo from Hitchcock. Watch out for that one.
North by Northwest is a classic thriller with a great leading man, a compelling storyline and some terrific set-pieces. As first experiences of Hitchcock go this was certainly one to savour and I’ve no doubt I will soon be delving further into the director’s career.
Verdict: 4/5
(Film source: reviewer’s own copy)
