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Rating of
3.5/4
To flee or not to flee.
memento_mori - wrote on 10/04/2013
I've come to notice over my past few viewings of Hitchcock's films that Hitchcock reigns over a genre of his own.
His films always make me smile, cringe, clench my fists, take interest or just pay attention and be entertained. Having now viewed North by Northwest a second time, I can pronounce this without hesitation, Hitchcock's masterpiece.
I consider Psycho a milestone for the horror genre, but I consider this film an absolute treat for all genres.
It's one of the very few films that effectively combined several elements of comedy, thriller and romance and wove them into one.
James Nguyen tried to mimic the style it in 2008, and look what we got: Birdemic. You just can't top the best.
It blurred the line between these genres, working every category of a film flawlessly through …
Rating of
3.5/4
Sheer joy from start to finish!
MovieAddict - wrote on 12/26/2012
Roger O. Thornhill (the O stands for nothing) is a Madison Avenue Advertising hotshot who dictates his letters to his secretary as he steals cabs, frets about his theater tickets, fusses over his mother and his two ex-wives. By raising his hand at an inopportune moment at drinks in a restaurant, Thornhill is mistaken for spy George Kaplan and is kidnapped by two thugs working for a crafty criminal, Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) who grills him on what he knows. And true to his middle name, Thornhill knows nothing!
As Thornhill becomes wrapped up in the life of his double, George Kaplan, he finds himself soon taken with Eve Kendall, a beautiful-yet-cold woman (but can he trust her?) played excellently by Eva Marie Saint and becomes embroiled in a tale of international intrigue as he …
Rating of
3/4
"North By Northwest" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 09/30/2012
An advertising executive is mistaken for a government agent and finds his life in danger from a ruthless spy ring. North By Northwest contains many of Hitchcock's favourite ingredients including the innocent protagonist in over his head in a world he doesn't entirely understand, mistaken identity, a beautiful femme fatale and a cross country race against time. In many ways it is like an early James Bond film where Bond hasn't actually got a clue what he's doing and it makes a refreshing change from the infallible, indestructible hero common to many spy movies; think of it as the anti-Taken. Cary Grant makes a very likeable hero (although he cannot resist playing some of the scenes for laughs which doesn't always sit well with the tone of the story) and it always looks glorious; the style …
Rating of
3/4
Change in Direction
Unknown - wrote on 11/14/2011
The mystery to start off the story is intriguing. I was involved for a good majority of the film, waiting to see what new turn would present itself. It looses steam in the last third, causing the previously balanced pace to be abandoned. The turns cease being surprising when they all seem to be their own individual macguffin. Nothing really matters in the finale besides saving the girl. I also felt Hitchcock's signature suspense wasn't consistent. The first two-thirds of the film are very entertaining due to the plot turns, smart offhanded comedic remarks, and lead performances. The two big action scenes (crop duster and Mt. Rushmore) are also superb. Despite some inconsistencies, this is still a good effort from the famous director.
Rating of
4/4
North by Northwest review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 09/27/2011
An Advertising Executive named Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) has been mistaken for George Kaplan, was abducted by Valerian (Adam Williams) and Licht (Robert Ellenstein). A spy named Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) probes “Kaplan” but unfortunately Thornhill knows nothing. The main protagonist investigates the situation by contacting Lester Townsend at the General Assembly building of the United Nations. He is framed of murdering a diplomat. Roger is still perplexed and meets Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) who aids him from the police constant efforts in searching for him. In the end, the real identity of Kaplan, Eve and the purpose of the pre-Columbian Tarascan statue (microfilm containing government secrets) won at an auction will be unveiled. This will be from an American …
Rating of
3.5/4
Another Hitchcock Masterpiece.
mdtinney - wrote on 10/13/2009
There are certain films in existance that you can watch over and over and they will always remain fresh and vibrant as the day they were released. North By Northwest is one such film. Filled with the usual Hitchcock themes, the movie begins innocently enough when Roger Thornhill calls for a bell boy. From there, he's whisked into a world of murder, espionage, smuggling and late night romances aboard trains. The suspense and plot build together as we, along with Thornhill, try to figure out what's happening, and try not to get killed along the way. Among the films highlights is the infamous crop duster sequence, in which Hitchcock shows you that even in the middle of nowhere, there is still danger. Cary Grant is perfectly cast as the rather quick witted Roger O. Thornhill. Eva Marie Saint …
Rating of
4/4
"That wasn't very sporting, using real bullets."
Arbogast1960 - wrote on 03/30/2008
I never cease to be jealous of Cary Grant. He is everything any man could ever want to be: rich, handsome, suave, urbane, beautiful women tripping over themselves to be with him. Alas, it is not to be. Grant is better than perfect in his final effort for Hitchcock (perhaps the best incarnation of Hitchcock's wrong man), as is Mason as the villainous but relentlessly beguiling Vandamm (perhaps the best incarnation of Hitchcock's charming villain). Saint is duly lovely and mysterious, and Landau is terribly creepy in his brief turn as Vandamm's sidekick Leonard, resembling some sort of unholy union between John Cassavetes and a falcon. It's truly astonishing that Hitchcock and screenwriter Ernest Lehman were able to fashion such a marvelous, coherent screenplay out of a desire to film …
