North by Northwest

When I think of Alfred Hitchcock, I instantly recall visuals from his horror masterpiece, Psycho. The second thing that comes to mind is, The Birds and then maybe his silhouette. Way down that list, somewhere beneath Vertigo and Rear Window , my brain drums up North By Northwest. I haven't seen it nearly as often as his other films and I don't hear it discussed nearly as often either. After re-watching it recently, I think I know why.

North by Northwest is Hitchcock's foray into adventure, and the romantic kind nonetheless. It's a popcorn flick, and maybe that disappoints some hard-edged critics, but not me. I enjoy North By Northwest. Hitchcock's sensibilities lend a lot of credibility to a genre that so often plays like parody all on its own, without the help of Leslie Nielson. Or rather I should say, Hitchcock set the standard for these films that are now often parodied directly, or done so poorly that the result is laughable or watered down. The adventure genre is the place to go for ridiculous action set-ups, sometimes unbelievable characters who make stupid decisions, and twisting and turning plots that often have Joe Viewer feeling stupid and confused. And nobody likes to be made to feel dumb when they are paying 10 bucks or more for a ticket.

But again, Hitchcock's unique shot choices keep a cartoonish plot from feeling cartoonish. Exaggerated? Yep. But credible? Also, yep. There are several shots in this movie that are powerful. The aerial shot of Cary Grant running from the UN, the t.v. reveal of Cary Grant (later used effectively if not originally by M. Night Shymalan in Signs), and even the way that he shoots several of his locations felt fresh. To watch a movie that was released in 1959 and feel like you are watching something cutting edge really indicates something about Alfred Hitchcock. Admittedly, the rear projection, especially during a car chase, was a little laughable. But it's forgivable, because it's easy to be invested in this movie while you're watching it. Why? Because it's interesting and fun! Slightly more optimistic than you may expect Hitchcock to be.