Very Good

Rating: 8/10 (12 June 2014)

In Alfred Hitchcock's 1959 spy thriller film "North by Northwest", Cary Grant plays Roger Thornhill – a quick-witted advertising executive who is thrust into the world of spies, deception and murder as he is mistaken for a man named George Kaplin and is framed for murder. On the run from the police, Thornhill meets beautiful blonde Eve Kendell (Eva Marie Saint), who aids in Thornhill's misadventures across America, concluding in a spectacularly constructed action set piece set atop Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota.
A change of tone and pace in comparison to his previous film, the dark psychological thriller "Vertigo", Hitchcock masterfully blends elements from the action, comedy and thriller genres here to create something seemingly familiar, but with enough bite to give its own sense of uniqueness and personality. An intrinsic factor for this film's grip on its audience undeniably from Ernest Lehman's charming and imaginative Academy Award nominated original screenplay, which effortlessly breathes life into characters through the use of unanticipated humour and genuine sincerity which allows the relationship between Grant and Saint's characters to bloom.
Both leading actors are stunning, and the supporting cast are as equally adept, with James Mason stealing the show with a subtle and classy performance as Phillip Vandamm, the film's antagonist. Coinciding with the cast is the instantly memorable soundtrack by Hitchcock's frequent collaborator Bernard Hermann, who crafts the audio so precisely and in such a measured manner that within many sequences the soundtrack seemingly transforms into an individual of its own, having direct interaction with the characters.
The most emphatic aspect of this film however; is its direction. Gloriously imagined by Hitchcock, every shot provides masses of magnificent imagery to indulge the audience, especially within 'the crop-duster sequence', which is perhaps one of the most challenging, inventive and yet wonderfully simplistic shots ever filmed.
Perhaps the greatest testament to this film is how its imagery, performances and soundtrack have been etched within millions of people for generations, and fifty four years after its release, its legacy is showing little sign of coming to a close. The film may not be Hitchcock's most recognised piece, but it's truly a masterpiece.