A classic thriller

Rating: 10/10 (12 February 2012)

This film might be over fifty years old but years old but it is still highly entertaining and demonstrates that a film can still be thrilling at a PG rating. The film opens with advertising executive Roger Thornhill being abducted when he is mistaken for a man called George Kaplan. He is taken to a large house where a man calling himself Lester Townsend questions him but as he isn't Kaplan he can't answer. Townsend assumes he is just trying to tough it out and arranges for Thornhill to have an 'accident'. He manages to escape though and after a run in with the police goes to see Townsend but discovers that the man he met the night before wasn't Townsend. The real Townsend is murdered and it looks like Thornhill did it. In an attempt to clear his name he tries to find the real Kaplan who is apparently in Chicago. On the train there he meets the beautiful Eve Kendall, who surprisingly helps him evade capture despite knowing what he is accused of... or it would be if she wasn't involved with the fake Townsend who we now know is called Vandamm. In the scenes that follow Thornhill must survive an attack by plane; discover exactly what is going on and finally confront his would-be killers on the face of Mount Rushmore!
This film is rightly considered a classic and not just because of the iconic scenes involving the crop-duster and the finale on the faces of the presidents on Mount Rushmore; it is a classic because it is a good story that is well told. Every scene is part of the story with no distractions such as 'family moments' or endangered children. Cary Grant does a great job as the ordinary man who finds his life taking an extraordinary turn... even if his drunk scene did look like somebody playing drunk rather than actually being drunk! He was ably supported my James Mason who was suitable villainous without going over the top as bad guy Vandamm and Eve Marie Saint as Eve Kendall who may or may not be very dangerous to Thornhill. Hitchcock did a great job directing this; even a scene as simple somebody running from a building to a car looks amazing because he chose to film if from high up directly over the action. As well as some genuine thrills; there is a good mystery and even a nice little romance that might be subplot but is still essential to the main plot. If you have not seen this yet watch it the first chance you get; I doubt you will be disappointed.