Adeptly balancing the essence of a thriller with a frequently lighthearted and comedic tone, North by Northwest displays the famous craftsmanship of its iconic director, Alfred Hitchcock, while serving as an ideal showcase for its considerably talented star. Cary Grant is perfectly cast in his role as advertising exec Roger Thornhill, a man so wily and even slimily credible that he is easily mistaken for a spy, and soon manages to actually fulfill the part as events demand. His love interest is played by Eva Marie Saint, excellently opaque and mysterious as long as the script requires, although less enjoyable as she becomes something of the reformed maiden in need of our hero's deliverance. Unfortunately the film seems to make something of a minor habit of this, presenting genuinely compelling ideas and playing with them to our torment, only to abandon them for convention once a conclusion is called for. Overall though, the film generates a considerable degree of excitement and certain scenes, one involving a crop duster and another a famous national monument, carry a great deal of momentum and form a lasting impression. The former especially shows the genius of Hitchcock at work: an innocuous thing becomes conspicuous, then ambiguously threatening, growing on the horizon until it's revealed as the image of death itself. A shot of Grant running like a madman through desolate farm field, imminent doom swooping down from behind him, is as immediately real in our sensory experience as any. But at its best, the film seems to insert subtle commentary through philosophical vectors: is there such an incredible difference between the manipulations of an ad man versus a government spook? Is the American system as benevolent as it suggests, or is it sometimes disturbingly inhumane in its adherence to pragmatism? Thornhill certainly approaches these issues as he flees from each progressive threat, but ultimately the film seems more interested in asking such questions than answering them; doubtless it thrives on this uncertainty by its very nature. For a film addressing the complexities and frequent ugliness of Cold War intrigues, it manages an impressive feat by maintaining a humorous composure despite its realistically uncomfortable premise. Although it avoids further depth, it presents a dreamlike odyssey across '50s America without losing sight of its paramount function: to entertain.
Review of North by Northwest
