North by Northwest

When I think of Alfred Hitchcock, I instantly recall visuals from his horror masterpiece, Psycho. The second thing that comes to mind is, The Birds and then maybe his silhouette. Way down that list, somewhere beneath Vertigo and Rear Window , my brain drums up North By Northwest. I haven't seen it nearly as often as his other films and I don't hear it discussed nearly as often either. After re-watching it recently, I think I know why.

North by Northwest is Hitchcock's foray into adventure, and the romantic kind nonetheless. It's a popcorn flick, and maybe that disappoints some hard-edged critics, but not me. I enjoy North By Northwest. Hitchcock's sensibilities lend a lot of credibility to a genre that so often plays like parody all on its own, without the help of Leslie Nielson. Or rather I should say, Hitchcock set the standard for these films that are now often parodied directly, or done so poorly that the result is laughable or watered down. The adventure genre is the place to go for ridiculous action set-ups, sometimes unbelievable characters who make stupid decisions, and twisting and turning plots that often have Joe Viewer feeling stupid and confused. And nobody likes to be made to feel dumb when they are paying 10 bucks or more for a ticket.

But again, Hitchcock's unique shot choices keep a cartoonish plot from feeling cartoonish. Exaggerated? Yep. But credible? Also, yep. There are several shots in this movie that are powerful. The aerial shot of Cary Grant running from the UN, the t.v. reveal of Cary Grant (later used effectively if not originally by M. Night Shymalan in Signs), and even the way that he shoots several of his locations felt fresh. To watch a movie that was released in 1959 and feel like you are watching something cutting edge really indicates something about Alfred Hitchcock. Admittedly, the rear projection, especially during a car chase, was a little laughable. But it's forgivable, because it's easy to be invested in this movie while you're watching it. Why? Because it's interesting and fun! Slightly more optimistic than you may expect Hitchcock to be.

And unlike so many other wrongly accused man films, North By Northwest has a healthy pace that doesn't leave our main character to languish in frustrating circumstances for too long. We're never too far ahead of him with what we know, but we're never behind feeling lost either. I've mentioned this before, but I can't stand that genre. Meet The Parents would be the comedy version of what I mean, where the main character is put through the ringer all the way until the end. It's not fun when we, as the audience, start suffering with them. (Unless you're a masochist I guess...I kid, I kid. But seriously, you're sick.)

The music of North By Northwest did a lot for me to increase tension and maintain tone. That's thanks to Bernard Hermann, who also did the iconic scores for Psycho and The Day The Earth Stood Still. But the main person to thank (or blame, if you hated it) is Hitchcock himself. He made the unique to choice to have Hermann score his film, as well as other style heavy choices he made with the end product in mind.
This is a highly entertaining movie, and I believe it to be not only the precursor to, but the direct inspiration for, so many adventure comedy thrillers today.

But Hitchcock made this his own brand. What filmmakers today are trying to emulate (their favorite works from director's who influenced them as kids) just can't be done. Instead, if the adventure comedy (adventure romance, adventure thriller, etc.) is going to be restored to its former glory, filmmakers will have to do what Hitchcock did...trust their own vision. We need unique versions and individual examples from separate artists interpreting this and other genres.

Imagine if someone as distinct as Quentin Tarantino did one of these films, and someone reigned him in on the blood and guts. Look at what he did with Jackie Browne, amazing. What if Wes Anderson did a wrongly accused man movie, adapted from a book or someone else's material? These movies succeed when they are painted with the color of individual styles. Look at what Spielberg did with his unique take on adventure, Indiana Jones. George Lucas breathed life into a tacky sci-fi adventure genre because of his love for t.v. serials, but he did it his way as an adult. And how many people have wasted their time trying to copy that formula instead of creating their own. What people don't realize about themselves, is that they admire specific filmmakers because they were brave, not because they should copy everything that the filmmaker they admired did. It's not the specific creations; it's the fact that someone got their vision through unspoiled.

I almost wonder if Hitchcock was a contemporary filmmaker, would we have allowed him to do this? We don't give filmmakers today (like M. Night Shymalan) the chance to experiment or even develop a style. As audiences, we're so jaded and we're so quick to turn on artists. I myself am guilty of this, having absolutely hated The Darjeeling Limited. (And I hate that I hated it, because I really enjoy his other movies.) Just a little something to think about.

Well, I've digressed. The point is, North By Northwest, is an example of why Hitchcock is still recognized today at being a master of filmmaking. It's a departure for him genre wise, and the film itself has clearly had an impact of many contemporary films. It's more than worth a watch, and it's just as entertaining as one of the Mission Impossible movies, if not more, as it centers around an ordinary man put in James Bond-like circumstances. Eva Marie Saint, as the leading lady, is not my favorite actress in the world. But she fits in well to the role she's cast in. Watch it to see this influential film, for the now famous action scenes (crop duster anyone?), and take it as food for thought when it comes to modern adventure movies.