As entertaining as it gets!! Funny, suspenseful and romantic.

Rating: 9/10 (16 September 2012)

Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" is a pleasant deviation from modern day films, yet can still deliver powerful suspense and larger than life special effects. Set in 1959 (present day), New York City, Roger Thornhill (Carey Grant) is a busy, quick-witted advertising executive. After he is abducted by spies who have mistaken him for federal agent 'George Kaplan", Thornhill goes on the run to find the real 'Kaplan".
While on the run, 'Thornhill' meets a beautiful woman, Eve, (Eva Marie Saint) who takes it upon herself to keep him out of trouble, but isn't at all what she seems to be. It isn't until later Roger O. ("means nothing") Thornhill, realizes not only is 'Kaplan' a fictitious person made up by the FBI as a ploy, but Eve is deeply involved in his abduction and the man trying to kill him, Phillip Vandamm, played by James Mason. Because Vandamm is the target for the feds creation of 'Kaplan', he still believes this to be Thornhill and continues his efforts in killing him.
After many tribulations and much confusion over Eve's identity, Thornhill finally learns of her undercover mission with the feds. Because it means death for Eve if Vandamm finds out his "girlfriend" is an informant for the FBI, Thornhill does everything he can to keep her safe. Eventually evading the spies after an adventure on top of Mt. Rushmore, Roger (Thornhill) and Eve rendezvous to the place they first met, a train car heading back to New York.
As the "Master of Suspense", Alfred Hitchcock has outdone himself by creating another "Mistaken Identity" film (among at least 3 others of his biggest films) that has somehow managed to set itself apart from the rest. The hilarious wit of Roger Thornhill parallels with Hitchcocks own dry, but extremely good sense of humor. I found this film not only obviously suspenseful and entertaining, but much funnier than I ever expected it to be.
Directorial Technique:
Alfred Hitchcock, uses the scene transitions and cutting as a tool to control the tempo of the film. Through the majority of the film; a long, continuous shot is employed to create drama. Panning the camera to follow or find the subject to be focused on (specific character/s) created an attention demanding effect, and the fixed long shot allows the viewer to see what's going on in the background as well. Hitchcock likes the viewer to be stimulated even in less suspenseful scenes.
The loudest and most deserving sound effect in my opinion is the Prop plan noises in the desert bus stop scene. In the distance a plane is heard but barely seen, as it gets closer, it gets louder, and louder. At one point I had to turn the volume on my TV down because it was giving me anxiety. It's THAT loud- almost like it's right outside. Not only is it loud, but as the plane flies around and comes back the volume increases and decreases creating a vibrating rhythm than can almost be felt through the television.
I noticed towards the end of the film just how impressive Hitchcock's ability is to play the viewer's heart rate like an instrument...I just read a quote from Alfred himself that states "You know, were not making a movie. We're constructing an organ...the kind of organ you see in a theatre. And we press this chord and now the audience laughs, we press that chord and they gasp, and we press these notes and they chuckle. Someday we won't have to make a movie, well just attach them to electrodes and play the various emotions for them to experience in the theatre".