Stupendous Achievement and Highly Satisfactory Entertainment

Rating: 9/10 (21 May 2014)

Just after the title sequence designed by Saul Bass, the opening shots immediately bring to mind the hallmarks of the movie's director, the Master of Suspense whose stories memorably imprisoned the characters in a world of wit, suspense, drama, erotic overtones and highly manipulative emotions. Along with the Expressionist influence on his movies and certain bases created within the walls of Hollywood system, the director's highly sophisticated, unique style pursued within a span of a few decades but, foremost, his frankness towards viewers made Hitchcock stand a test of time. And with his "sardonic, mischievous wit" and the "magnetism of his casts" (Carter B. Horsley), including Ernest Lehmann's witty and clever script, NORTH BY NORTHWEST appears to be Hitchcosk's milestone and "perhaps his most fully realized film." (Charles Ramirez Berg).
All seems to be around an old Hollywood saying: "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl after all." And although this saying appears to find its resemblance within the themes of many movies, when supplied with Hitch's suspense, it results in stupendous achievement and a highly satisfactory entertainment.
To start with, it appears that most of the movie's charm and strength lies in the lead performance by Cary Grant as a "man on Lincoln's nose," likable Roger Thornhill. Unlike James Stewart, Cary Grant, the prototype of the ideal man and a man-bridge of generations at the turn of periods, supplies us with the most crucial aspects of good performance. He is wonderfully witty, outstandingly skilled, almost an athlete on the screen, a perfect leading man as well as the actor capable of bringing about the very best thrills and putting emotional resonance into the story. His performance is so powerful that we, as viewers, simply skip certain flaws in the story. He is never too much overwhelmed by the role, never too easily taken with emotions and by that his role remains one of the most authentic achievements on the screen. Being his fourth role under the direction of Alfred Hitchcock, he proves excellent rapport with the Master of Suspense. The director's sense of humor goes perfectly well with Grant's comic skills, the director's style goes well with Grant's mystique, the director's psychological overtones and hidden meanings go beautifully with the actor's subtle, transcending acting abilities. The best moments include the drunkard's driving (which B Horsley rightly labels as "pure buffoonery") and the art auction, a typical Hitch-like scene of a public event interrupted. No wonder Pauline Kael once pointed out that Grant "appeared before us in his radiantly shallow perfection and that is all we wanted of him."
FEMALE CO-STARS: Hitchock's preferences of beautiful blonds on the screen does not meet any exception in NORTH BY NORTHWEST. It is no Grace Kelly or Ingrid Bergman, but an actress who can perfectly stand a chance against lots of expectations and requirements of the more demanding audiences, Eva Marie Saint as a 26 year-old Eve Kendall. She manages to give a performance that initiates a true clash of senses: radiantly awesome whilst being a stranger on a train so much taken with the man's face, stunningly captivating whilst being a spy within a more organized institutionalized group, undeniably sexy capable of bringing all erotic thoughts to life whilst being totally dressed. The best moments include the train sequence, in my opinion. That sequence brings all to heights of witty intelligence and a great touch of climbing up and proving to him why she has been so good to the man. The two (Eva Marie Saint and Cary Grant) appear to embody contrast themselves, contradiction of loneliness vs togetherness. "Boy gets girl after all and loneliness happily leads to togetherness...
Among the supporting cast, each viewer will surely be stunned by the performance of James Mason, "deliciously pernicious" with "cool elegance and authority" (B. Horsley) drawing parallels to James Bond's villains. His scenes are ostentatiously cold and innately captivating. The theme of a mummy's boy is developed by Jessie Royce Landis who plays the protagonist's mother in some hilarious moments. Martin Landau is also interesting in his early role as Leonard.
Amidst the merits of the movie, two points need a special mention: excellent shots that Alfred Hitchcock was famous for and the score by Bernard Herrman. It's no need to say how beautifully the tunes correspond to the action, the whole storytelling, how balanced the score is and how strongly it teases our imagination, our assumptions, gently caressing our senses. The shots reveal grandeur at Glen Cove estate but reach the pinnacle at Mount Rushmore sequence which has revealed much of the director's haunting flair for Expressionism. So much as the Golden Gate Bridge is a silent character of VERTIGO, Mt Rushmore serves that purpose in NORTH BY NORTHWEST, being even more...an unforgettable crescendo of the finale.
While seeing NORTH BY NORTHWEST after a few decades, you have this unusual feeling that you are watching something unique, something that may still entertain you, enthrall you, touch you, amuse you and, foremost, bring all the thrill of suspense to a unique scale of perceptions. Charles Ramirez Berg put it nicely in his article highlighting Hitchock's legacy that "this quintessential chase movie is full of the things for which we remember Alfred Hitchcockl..." What are the things? No need to enumerate them, just see the film and find for yourself/yourselves.