Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest: The Significance of an Afterthought

Editing Shines in Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest

Alfred Hitchcock reigns as one of the most creative and talented directors in the history of cinema. He is famous for his manipulation of the genres of suspense and horror and often approaches both genres at a different, more shocking angle than any other directors of his time. His film, North by Northwest, is an example of his manipulation of a viewer’s emotions of fear and anticipation. The movie opens with, the star, Cary Grant’s Roger Thornhill in his natural element, the city. 

From there, two mysterious men kidnap him and take him to the country, where the Townsend Mansion is situated. Philip Vandamm, a foreign spy that deciphers American secrets, acts as Leonard Townsend and proceeds to ask Thornhill a number of questions about his knowledge of government affairs all while referring to him as George Kaplan, a fictional government agent. A confused Thornhill refuses to comply with Vandamm’s call of obedience and information and is fed a bottle of bourbon in hopes that when he is placed in a car, he will drive himself off a cliff. 

Thornhill manages to get himself arrested for driving while intoxicated. Thornhill then spends the rest of the movie attempting to find out the source of Townsend’s, or rather Vandamm’s, interest in George Kaplan and how the beautiful woman he met on the train, Eve Kendall, plays a role in the entire mystery. The mysterious and sketchy undertones in the acting remind the viewers that every character holds a secret. The acting also emphasizes the mood of suspense created by the story and action. However, in North by Northwest, Hitchcock places more weight on the editing and camera angles within a shot rather than acting.