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Summary: A Mistaken Identity Story With A Twist
Review: Cary Grant pays a suave but otherwise ordinary guy who gets mistaken for someone else. This leads to him being framed for, in succession, drunken driving, car theft, and murder. Then, the bad guys start trying to kill him. The twist is that the man for whom he is mistaken does not exist, but is instead a false identity created by a government agency (CIA?) to trap the bad guys. The G-men convince him to go along with being mistaken for someone else so that he can be their bait. This leads to a cross-country chase, constant confusion (for the viewer and for Cary Grant) as to who is really bad and who is really good, and a climactic chase starting at the top of Mount Rushmore (no, it's not special effects; everyone really is climbing around on Lincoln's face)! This is quintessential Hitchkock. What saddens me is that there are whole age-groups out there who don't know who Cary Grant or Alfred Hitchkock are and don't know they're missing something. This movie could come out now, and few things would seem dated (cars, clothes). It's also sad that the video is hard to find/buy.
Rating:
Summary: Engaging Story and Some Memorable Scenes
Review: A case of mistaken identity leads to kidnapping and more, in the suspenseful "North by Northwest," directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant. Advertising executive Roger Thornhill (Grant) has his lunch interrupted by two men who think he's someone else, a man named Kaplan, and as they escort him from the restaurant at gunpoint to a waiting car, it's only the beginning of an adventure that will take the hapless Thornhill from New York to Mount Rushmore, and introduce him to the kind of intrigue few people experience except in the movies. And before he's through, Thornhill will have scaled the famous monument, played tag with a crop-dusting airplane and fallen in love with a beautiful woman. It's a classic case of an ordinary person getting caught up in extraordinary events, and with Hitchcock behind it all, you know it's going to be a thrilling ride. And it is. With this film, Hitchcock proves once again that he is, indeed, the Master of Suspense. With terrific foreshadowing, he has a way of tipping you off to what is about to happen, without letting you in on what's really behind the mystery. It's part of that special touch he has that keeps it all exciting and moving along, while allowing the tension to build until the very end. It's a precision balancing act-- keeping the story right on the wire while refusing to reveal any more than is necessary at any given point in time-- that few directors have managed to achieve so effectively. Hitchcock has an eye for detail, an innate sense of what works and knows just when to infuse some humor into his story; but a big part of his success is also that he knows how to exact the kind of performances he needs from his actors. Grant, as expected, gives a first-rate performance as Thornhill, using his natural charm and style to great effect; It's understated, and entirely credible. His reaction to being kidnapped is totally honest, as he affects an almost naive sense of well being even with a gun stuck in his ribs. As you can imagine it would be in a real situation like that, he simply doesn't comprehend what's really happening. And the transition from that point to when he fully realizes the danger he's in is extremely well handled and developed. It's a good bit of acting by Grant, and directing by Hitchcock. Also turning in notable performances are James Mason, suave and menacing as Phillip Vandamm, Thornhill's adversary, and Eva Marie Saint, as Eve Kendall, the woman Thornhill meets on a train and with whom he becomes quite taken, not only with her beauty, but by her candor, as well. The great thing about Hitchcock is that he sets you up so beautifully and never fails to deliver. He consistently gives you that sense that something is about to happen, and it always does. When Thornhill is standing out in the middle of nowhere at a crossroads, surrounded by nothing but fields, and you see a crop-dusting plane making a pass in the distance, and then you see it again-- but Thornhill is paying it no attention whatsoever-- you know something is up. And from that innocuous lead in, Hitchcock develops one of his most memorable scenes ever, brilliantly conceived and realized. The same thing happens when Thornhill and Eve find themselves at the top of Mount Rushmore; you know they didn't wind up there by accident. The supporting cast includes Jessie Royce Landis (Clara Thornhill), Leo G. Carroll (The Professor), Josephine Hutchinson (Mrs. Townsend), Philip Ober (Lester), Martin Landau (Leonard) and Edward Platt (Larrabee). An exciting story, some engaging performances and the indelible images this film plants in your memory, all make "North by Northwest" one of Hitchcock's finest (and that's saying a lot). Thoroughly entertaining, it's one to which you can return time and again and still be thrilled anew. You can always rely on Hitchcock to give you a good show, and show you a good time; that's the magic of Hitchcock, and it's the magic of the movies.
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Summary: Americanization of Alfred and Archie
Review: Less resonant than "Vertigo," more complex and layered than "Rear Window," "North by Northwest" has something for everyone. The title is from "Hamlet," especially appropriate because of the film's plot movement from NYC to South Dakato and because of the protagonist. Grant plays a character running from a protective mother, encountering a threatening version of Ophelia, and all the while putting on various "antic dispositions" while seeking to claim his own national identity and personal autonomy. Hitchcock has not only taken his British actor but his own British classic, "The 39 Steps," and transformed them into cinematic icons as recognizably American as Mount Rushmore. The protagonist's flight starts from the United Nations and threatens to take on an international theme until the thrilling and delightful climactic action sequence. The dispossessed hero on the run, Archie Leach, instantaneously becomes the American object of desire--Cary Grant--and Hitchcock becomes the consummate exploiter of American moviegoers' fears, dreams, desires in a segue that collapses fear and desire, death and sex into a closing moment as characteristically American as any conclusion in film. Besides this unforgettable edit, the film contains one of Hitchcock's 3 most celebrated editing sequences: the tennis match from "Strangers on a Train," the shower scene from "Psycho," and in "North by Northwest" the low-flying plane that threatens to harvest Gary Grant.
Rating:
Summary: Better than most, but not Hitchcock's best
Review: This is acclaimed by many as one of Hitchcock's best films, but it is also known as one of his biggest blunders. It is generally agreed that "The Master of Suspense" stumbled badly by revealing the identity of George Kaplan early in the film, in the scene where the CIA members discuss what to do about Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant). Thornhill is a heady advertising executive who is abducted at gunpoint and taken to a man named Vandamm (James Mason) who asks him cryptic questions and keeps calling him George Kaplan. Thornhill responds that he doesn't know George Kaplan and that they are confusing him with someone else. Through this entire sequence, we are never sure whether he is Thornhill or Kaplan. The film would have been far more intriguing if this were left a mystery until the end, rather than having it cleared up twenty minutes into the plot. It is thought that Hitchcock believed that the introduction of Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) would replace one mystery with an even better one. However, Eve's motivations are too transparent and even of the dullest of viewers can discern that their meeting on the train is no chance encounter. Eve is far too forward and obvious, especially for the 1950's. It is hard to believe there is anyone who wouldn't be a tad suspicious at her behavior. Though we are left with more than a few questions about Eve after the love scene, imagine how wonderfully confused we would have been if Kaplan's identity weren't revealed so early in the film. We would know only what Thornhill knew about why he was being pursued and seduced, which is next to nothing. Despite these flaws, the film is still intriguing, with a number of unpredictable twists. The second half of the film is much tighter and filled with Hitchcock's trademark suspense scenes. The crop duster pursuit and the chase scene on the face of Mount Rushmore are classic Hitch. Hitchcock tried to get permission to shoot the scene on the real Rushmore, but he was refused. Not to be deterred, he had his own Mount Rushmore set built that was indistinguishable from the original, earning an Oscar nomination for set decoration. The acting is excellent. Cary Grant is at his debonair best as the acerbic ad executive who is beguiled by Eve's beauty and charm. Eva Marie Saint is best known for her movie debut as Edie in "On The Waterfront", but she is every bit as good in this film. Hers is a very complex character, duplicitous and devious, yet vulnerable and torn, and she handles it with facility. James Mason is enigmatic and elusive as VanDamm and a youthful Martin Landau does a nice job as VanDamm's tough lieutenant. I enjoyed this film, but I don't believe it attains the level of excellence of Hitchcock's other renowned films ("Psycho", "Vertigo" and "Rear Window"). I rated it 9/10 with a point deducted for blowing the Kaplan question. Even so, a bad day for Hitchcock is like the best day for most directors.
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Summary: A comedy-thriller that stands the test of time
Review: This is definitely a DVD to have and to rewatch with friends and family. The story is familiar - a man is mistaken for a spy and has to get out of the mess without dying - but the acting and scenes are fresh and stunning. It's pretty sexual for a film of its time - Roger has been married many times and has no qualms about seducing the beautiful young woman on the train. Not that she needs seducing - in the original version she meets him while eating, and says that she wants to finish dinner because she doesn't like to make love on an empty stomach. Not too bad for a first date! The crop-dusting scene is famous and much-copied, as are several other scenes. It's the interpersonal relationships where this movie shines, though. The jealousy of the two men who both love Eva, the way that James' henchman is fond of him (and jealous of Eva) ... there are romantic pentagons in this film, never mind triangles. The special features on the DVD are well worth watching, giving extra insight into the characters and the way the movie was made. Grab a copy for your home, and another for a friend as a present! It's a movie that you'll find something new in each time you watch it.
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Summary: A spider's web
Review: This movie is great. It reminds me of a spider's web. Everyone is tangled, but it is how they are tanglet that makes the difference. I really like the music that is used to give it the murder-feel. It also has my favorite actor Martin Landau!!! So, if you are looking for a movie with twist and turns see this movie.
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Summary: Love this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: This is the greatest Alfred Hitchcock movie ever made!!!!!!!!
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Summary: Hitchcock and Grant: An Unbeatable Combination
Review: "North by Northwest" (1959) was the fourth and final collaboration between director Alfred Hitchcock and actor Cary Grant -- and it's easily the best. Both men were at their artistic zenith when they made this superb comic thriller, which screenwriter Ernest Lehman promised would be "the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures." Lehman's script incorporates some brilliant setpieces that the Master of Suspense was unable to work into his previous films, such as the famous crop-dusting chase and the surreal Mount Rushmore climax. However, the highlight remains the Chicago auction sequence. Grant's screwball humor and dark charm make him the ideal Hitchcock leading man -- complemented by excellent performances from Eva Marie Saint, James Mason and Martin Landau. "North by Northwest" was Hitchcock's sole effort for MGM and he makes the most of the studio gloss. It's a top-notch production in terms of set design and matte work. In fact, author Ian Fleming considered "North by Northwest" to be the stylistic prototype for the James Bond series and wanted Hitchcock to direct the first 007 production (he turned down the offer). To fully appreciate this classic film, it should be seen in the letterbox format that Hitchcock intended. One of the all-time greats.
Rating:
Summary: Crystal Clear Classic
Review: After the galloping overture (and a brief glimpse of Cinemaestro Hitchcock missing a bus), we are plunged into the world of adman Roger Thornhill (played by Cary Grant) working out a last minute itinerary with his girl Friday. "In the world of advertising," he explains "there is no such thing as a lie .... only expedient exaggeration." He arrives at a dinner meeting with some clients, excuses himself to make a last minute call, and before he knows it is mistaken for a government spy named George Kaplan ..... who doesn't really exist. Before he can comprehend what is happening, a team of thugs pour a fifth of bourbon into him and put him behind the wheel of a convertible headed down a coastal cliff, which he miraculously survives, but has to somehow explain to the police. He has even more explaining to do later when, in his attempts to figure out why this has happened to him, he ends up pulling a knife out of the back of a U.N. diplomat in front of hundreds of onlookers and a press photographer. Expedient exaggeration indeed .... Hitchcock's North By Northwest basically set the standard for all suspense/action films to come out of Hollywood. It is the perfect story of a man in an already barely-managable life being thrust into an out-of-control one, just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Before he knows it, he's a tool of a government agency, being used as a playing piece against espionage kingpin James Mason, along with romance interest Eva Marie Saint, reluctantly caught between two manipulative interests while trying to preserve not only his innocence, but his very identity. In the course of it all, he has to evade a killer cropdusting plane ("dusting where there ain't no crops") and high class thugs who chase him and his lady charge down the faces of Mount Rushmore. If there is a theme, or moral of any sort, to this classic tale of intrigue and misplaced identity, it would have to be: when you are caught in the middle, which side do you choose? Especially when neither side is overly concerned with your survival? The digital transfer of this treasure of a film does it proper justice: it is like watching a new film set in the period (early 50's) that it depicts. The Bernard Herrmann score crackles with energy and sounds best at high volume. The restoration team is to be applauded for their efforts in maintaining the life of a film that feels still very much alive today, with its plot twists and subtly subversive messages about the manipulative nature of societal forces. The main thing that set Hitchcock's work apart from other filmmakers of his time was its extremes of entertainment and thought provocation: his attitude, in other words. Even in a lighthearted work such as this, you had something to take home with you. Definitely a film worth owning.
Rating: 
Summary: OK movie
Review: I thought the story was somehow interesting.The story wasen't boring.When I heard this film was made in 1959 I thought this might be new for the audience in those ages.However,for me the scenes were quit unnatural.It didn't have the reality. When I saw the last scene I thought this is the ordinary ending we can see in Hollywood films.
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