North By Northwest

Rating:
Summary: Cary Grant on the Run in Hitchcock Masterpiece!
Review: 'North by Northwest' is the ONE Hitchcock movie no film lover's collection should be without! Suspenseful, funny, sexy, exciting, it works perfectly on so many levels that the film just gets better and better with repeated viewings!

The story is really quite simple; a successful New York ad executive (Cary Grant, in superb form!) is mistaken for an American espionage agent by a group of Soviet spies (led by the ruthlessly suave James Mason, and his aide, a youthful yet sinister Martin Landau! ), and a cat-and-mouse cross-country chase begins, culminating on top of Mount Rushmore. Along the way, Grant is ridiculed by his mother (Jesse Royce Landis, who is hilarious, if actually YOUNGER than Grant!), seduced by double-agent Eva Marie Saint (in the sexiest role of her career!), chased across a cornfield by a lethal cropduster (in one of the greatest scenes in film history!), and recruited into the intelligence community (represented by future 'Man from U.N.C.L.E.' boss, Leo G. Carroll!), while Bernard Herrman's unforgettable music punctuates each scene!

Yes, the film has it's faults and a few technical gaffes, but for sheer excitement and fun, you can't top 'North By Northwest'! Hitchcock and Grant both considered this to be one of their favorite films, and you'll fall in love with it, too!

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.

Rating:
Summary: A Winner By A Nose
Review: Alfred Hitchcock goes back to one of his most popular themes: mistaken identity. Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), an advertising executive is used as a pawn in a game between U. S. and foreign agents. Grant is first mistaken for a American agent named George Kaplan and then framed for murder. The latter event convinces Grant that he is in serious danger requiring him to run for his life. Along the way he meets a mysteriously cool blond (another Hitch favorite) named Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) who may or may not want to do him harm. A wonderful comic romp which has the sophisticated style and polish that you'd expect in the best of Hitchcock films, North By Northwest does not disappoint. Grant is cool and smooth as the ad executive on the run and Saint is terrific as the mysterious blond. As the head of the foreign spy ring, James Mason is properly menacing, as is Martin Landau, his right hand man. Great bits by Jesse Royce Landis as Grant's mother (she played Grace Kelly's mother in To Catch A Thief a few years earlier), a tense Bernard Herrmann score, and enough memorable scenes--the United Nations murder, the plane chase in a field of corn, the Mount Rushmore climax--to fill a dozen films, North is an incredibly fun ride. Any more plot details will just spoil the fun. As with the best Hitchcock films, North is as fresh and sophisticated today as when it was first released.

Rating:
Summary: HIS BEST CHASER...
Review: It seems 2 me that Hitchcock sort of stole many elements from his pre-chaser-films and said: "Good-eeeeevening..... You think you have seen my best efforts, but I must unfortunately dissappoint you.....!"

Indeed this is a neurotic and clastraphobic chaser and suspenser - maybe the BEST EVER - thanks 2 the talents of Ernest Lehman, Hitchcock himself, his crew and the entire cast. There are numerous highlights from this film; I prefer NOT 2 single out any of them in favour of others. This film belongs IN EVERY HOME:-)

Rating:
Summary: Suspense, tension and good technology. But silly story.
Review: Nominated for several Academy Awards, this 1959 film by Alfred Hitchcock lives in my memory because of several memorable scenes. There's a scene where Cary Grant is being chased by an crop duster airplane. And then there's another scene where killers are chasing Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint on Mount Rushmore. I remember Cary Grant being suave. And I remember Eva Marie Saint as being beautiful.

Forty-three years have passed since then. It's time to take another look at this classic.

Well, Cary Grant is still suave. Eva Marie Saint is still beautiful. The two memorable scenes are still tense with action. And the Hitchcock style of suspense is there too.

But it's no wonder I don't remember the plot, which revolves around Cary Grant being mistaken for an international spy, Eva Marie Saint being a double agent and James Mason and Martin Landau being the bad guys. That's because, like some of today's technological wonders, the plot is an afterthought, pulled together for the purpose of showing off the "good scenes".

My opinion on this was borne out by the special features on the DVD, which described the making of the film. The action scenes were thought up first, and then the story was fitted around them.

O.K. The film is a classic and will remain so no matter what I say. And memories of those several scenes will live long into the future.

But I yearn for a story I can sink my teeth into. I want to care about the characters. I want to believe that the action they are going through is possible. I feel this about films of today. And I feel this about North By Northwest.

High-tech aficionados will enjoy this flick as a great achievement for Hitchcock given the era he worked in. I can appreciate it for its historical significance, but certainly not for anything else. I therefore can only give it a lukewarm recommendation.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing!
Review: North by Northwest is one of my all-time favorite movies. From start to finish, NxNW is a roller-coaster ride you'll want to watch again and again. It is thrilling, exciting and at times totally hilarious. Essentially, it's about Roger O. Thornhill, a confident and charming advertising executive, who is mistaken for a government agent and is consequently chased across the country. He is set on the road drunk, forced to hide in train compartments, crop-dusted (a classic sequence), trapped in auction, and finally chased across Mount Rushmore. Movies don't get any better than this.

As for the cast, it is excellent! Cary Grant gives a perfect performance as Roger O. Thornhill - and he is hilarious and charming, as ever! Eva Marie Saint is also very good, as the mysterious and glamorous girl Cary meets on the train. James Mason does a wonderful job playing the debonair but evil villian.

Directed by Hitchcock, this is a great comedy/thriller - in my opinion, it is Hitchcock's best movie! Additionally, it is a good idea to get the DVD, because the movie is astonishingly sharp and clear and there are plenty of special features. 100% worth your money! If you haven't seen this, by all means do, and if you have, get a DVD you can watch again and again!

Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate In Crackerjack Entertainment!
Review: Quintessential Hitchcock. Made just in between Hitchcock's best films; 'Vertigo' and 'Psycho'. 'North By Northwest' is more lighthearted and fun than those films, less psychologically oriented and more glossy good old fashioned entertainment. Hitchcock took the 'innocent man on the run' dilemma he practically invented in 'The 39 Steps' and then further explored in 'Saboteur, but perfected in this classic film. In one of the definitive Cary Grant roles, Grant was in peak form and at his most charming. It's hard to imagine anyone else as Roger Thornhill or any other person who can melt women with just a look, only Grant can do that. Endlessly entertaining and sprinkled with wit and intrigue, one of the classic screen entertainments. This time Eva Marie Saint is the 'icy blonde' a look that obviously appealed to Hitchcock and a lot of actresses are living proof of that; Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, Madeleine Carroll, Janet Leigh, etc. There is an incredibly sexy (and long) kissing sequence that could compare with the one Grand and Ingrid Bergman had in Hitch's 'Notorious', while not as tense or as unbearably sexy it's still as memorable. James Mason is excellent as the villainous Phillip Vandamme and this is one rare occasion when his voice does not seem distracting in fact it kind of fits appropriately. Martin Landau is also equally memorable as Vandamme's thug, there are some homosexual undercurrents to his character. Filled with many memorable scenes like the assassination in the UN, Cary Grant trying to drive a car while drunk and of course the now classic crop-dusting sequence that is pure Hitchcock genius all the way. The cliffhanger ending on Mount Rushmore is incredibly suspenseful and equally memorable. One of the most constantly entertaining films of all time, Hitchcock at his peak and at his most charming. Extras: Hitchcock's usual cameo; this time as the man who barely misses the bus in the beginning credits. From a scale of 1-10 I give this film a 10!

Rating:
Summary: "Real bullets? That's not very sporting..."
Review: Slap yourself if you haven't seen this movie. Although not as complex as "Vertigo" or "Rear Window," this is Hitchcock at his most enjoyable. I can't even begin to count the number of contemporary action films that were infulenced by (and frequently rip off) this. The crop-duster scene continues to be possibly one of the best suspense scenes I've ever seen, and it was only done with a plane, an empty field, and Cary Grant. The cast is perfect, the script is full of surprises and funny in a smart kind of way that modern moviemaking just doesn't understand. James Mason just oozes evil charisma.

So, how's the DVD? Incredible. I can't believe it ever looked this good, even on the big screen. The color separation is vivid and sharp, and I only noticed two or three imperfections in the print, which is amazing considering the age of this film. The stereo separation and noise reduction are great. Bernard Hermann's score, one of the most brilliant and propulsive I've ever heard, is absolutely transparent. And, of course, the stereo panning during the crop-duster sequence is spot-on. Oh yeah, and it includes the original theatrical trailer, as well as a mock commercial done by Hitchcock himself extolling the virtues of Mt. Rushmore as a tourist attraction!

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant film making.
Review: With this film, Alfred Hitchcock set out to top himself and get back on top after the failure of VERTIGO; he did just that. NORTH BY NORTHWEST is automatically a classic with the acting by Cary Grant (his fourth and final film with Hitchcock), Eva Maria Saint, James Mason, Leo G. Carroll (another one of Hithcock's favorites), and young Martin Landau (in his film debut), the amazing set pieces (the UN murder, the cropduster sequence, and the climax atop Mt. Rushmore), Bernard Hermann's music score, and the classic work of the camera by the Master of Suspense. But this DVD's extras really add to the film. It includes a documentary hosted by Saint ("Destination Hitchcock," not "The Man in Lincoln's Nose" as listed on this site), an audio commentary by screenwriter Ernest Lehman, two theatrical trailers (a standard trailer and one featuring Hitchcock), a TV Spot, an isolated music audio track and the film itself remastered in Dolby 5.1 Audio and 1.66:1 widescreen anamorphic format. The only problem is it comes in a snap case like all Warners DVDs, not allowing a booklet with production notes. But this DVD is a must buy, especially if you're a fan of Hitch. It's also a note of interest for 007 fans (like myself). This film brought about spy thrillers and you should compare the cropduster sequence in this film to the helicopter sequence in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE.