North By Northwest (1959)

There is something inherently weird and confusing about ‘North by Northwest’, there is this overall lack of focus or direction that makes it fun in a bewildering way. The plot is ridiculously paced, as it is simply a series of events happening with a constant acceleration and lack of clarity. I had a lot of fun with the film, I don’t think it’s an outstanding film, but viewing it is an experience that is so insane it feels more enjoyable than it should be.

Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is a businessman that after being mistaken for someone else is catapulted into a world of espionage deep in the midst of the Cold War. Grant is fantastic, he immediately signifies with the audience due to his sheer confusion during the plot. He approaches every situation with this frustration mixed with curiosity, to the point where he evolves into a full-blown action hero. His performance, obviously encouraged by excellent direction, is never repetitive or boring, it is however sometimes hard to keep track of and sometimes his actions are left unexplained and unmotivated. The weakest part of this film is definitely Eva Marie Saint as Eva Kendall, but that is by no fault of her own but more the fact it’s not aged well. She lacks agency and is treated completely objectively, she is a motivator to most of the characters rather than an individual. Her chemistry with Thornhill is weird, it feels forced and Hitchcock extends the sexual innuendo to lengths I didn’t think possible, making it seem tedious and laughable.

As for supporting cast, ‘North by Northwest’ is full of weird over the top characters that add to the overall tone and thrill of the film. The villain, Phillip Vandamm, played with excellence menace by James Mason, provides some much-needed variety and subtlety to the film. His swift unsettling composure and charm works really well in comparison to Grant’s flustered performance. However, he is left mainly unexplained and motiveless due to his character being established as only serving the purpose of the antagonist. The world of the film feels so unfamiliar as so many side characters are ridiculous and heightened, but they all serve a purpose that works to make the film feel very enjoyable.

The film falls apart most in its pacing, it is way too drawn out during the second half. The plot consists of events and scenes that pile upon each other, it is ‘and then’ storytelling when you break it down. Now individual scenes are fantastic, especially the plane sequence, but after a while, I tended to lose interest in each individual event because it is so exhausting. Hitchcock manages to create so many beautiful vignettes of tension and excellent dialogue and structuring, that almost would work as individual short films but the threads between these events are convoluted and weak. There isn’t much in the way of character arc or development, but in many ways, the film simplifies character for the spectacle which is an entirely subjective decision that I don’t love.

I would confidently say, this is Hitchcock’s best-looking film, which is a very controversial statement. The excellent set design and location use has such a variety that every location and scene feel iconic and individual, the sense of adventure is embodied through the vast changes in visual representation. The colour schemes are so bright and raw, with scenes and characters having such a unique visual fingerprint especially Eva and how she is associated with certain locations. Some of the sets and effects look a bit dated, but that is too be expected from a 50-year-old film. I was a bit disappointed with the score. It wasn’t especially unique or individual, but it did occasionally reignite a scene with some needed pace and tension.

‘North by Northwest’ is such a barrage of confusion and fun that in the end, I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. It isn’t an amazing film, it suffers from massive pacing and character problems, but I think Hitchcock still manages to create this excellent absurd spy thriller. In many ways, it is the ultimate spy movie, it has the charming villains, the damsel in distress, the smooth and relatable hero. I am still thinking about and smiling about ‘North by Northwest’ and I don’t think I will ever quite get or understand it, but I still had an immense amount of fun with it.