A Formal Analysis of the Meeting in the Woods in Hitchcock's North by Northwest

In this scene Roger and Eve meet after the fake shooting; Roger finds out Eve is leaving with Van Damm instead of staying with him. The scene begins with an establishing long shot. In contrast to the unbalanced framing used throughout the film, this shot is extremely balanced, the framing will remain this way through the entire sequence. Since this shot is very unique in the context of the film, the viewer's eye is immediately drawn to the characters instead of the mise-en-scene. Throughout the following seven shots, the two characters move closer to each other, and a re-establishing shot is shown in the ninth frame of the segment. Although the camera distance changes from a long shot to a medium long shot and then to a medium close-up, each of these three shots is a closer version of the re-establishing shot. Throughout each of these shots, the distance between the characters, as well as the distance between the camera and the characters, becomes smaller and the next short segment, consisting of sixteen shots, seems to be portraying a sense of unity between Roger and Eve, but a closer look shows just the opposite.

The segment begins with the medium close-up establishing shot which is followed by a series of fifteen shots following the shot/reverse shot pattern. The camera remains at the same distance and level for the entire sequence. Through the first seven shots, Roger and Eve stay in the same place, and an equal distance remains between them. In the next three shots (a shot/reverse shot/shot), Roger and Eve move closer to each other yet again and in the tenth shot of the sequence they embrace in a passionate kiss. Throughout the next six shots they remain in a close embrace.

Although the characters remain united during the last half of the segment, the editing portrays a separation between the two characters. The use of the shot/reverse shot pattern displays this separation. Although both characters are shown in each shot, the shots are occurring from each character's end of the axis of action, instead of from the center. By avoiding the sense of connection that a re-establishing shot created in the first half of the scene, the division between the two characters through the shot/reverse shot pattern portrays a sense of departure from the embrace. The characters do, in fact, part shortly after this segment and by displaying this separation in an otherwise unified moment, the editing helps the viewer prepare for this departure.