The master of suspense presents a 3000-mile chase across America!

According to one biography on Alfred Hitchcock, it was Bernard Herrmann who introduced screenwriter Ernest Lehman to the director. They hit it off and decided to make a movie together. Lehman told the director that he wanted to do the ultimate Hitchcock movie. Hitchcock then told Lehman that he always wanted to do a chase across Mount Rushmore. That is how North by Northwest was conceived and the collaboration did indeed spawn one of the best films ever made.

The concept of having a man run from evil powers and not being believed by anybody was often explored by Hitchcock in the past, but it came together beautifully in this film. It begins with Saul Bass’s gorgeous titles accompanied by Herrmann’s exhilarating and often imitated music score. We’re introduced to Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), a New York ad executive, who is mistaken by a pair of enemy agents to be a man called George Kaplan. He’s taken to Phillip Vandamm (James Mason) who grows frustrated when Thornhill insists that he is not Kaplan. Vandamm’s agents try to kill him but he manages to escape… although not in a very dignified way and he ends up in the custody of his mother, Clara (Jessie Royce Landis), who knows her son and doesn’t really believe in his story. When Thornhill returns to Vandamm’s house, there is no trace of him or his agents. He does however find enough clues that lead him to the United Nations building. Shockingly, a diplomat that Thornhill meets there is murdered and our hero accidentally touches the knife in his back; the event is captured by a photographer. Realizing that his situation has become difficult to explain to the police, Thornhill goes on the lam. On a train to Chicago, he meets the lovely Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint). Should he trust her? Will he find Vandamm?

No one could accuse Grant of being one of the greatest actors, but he does have a presence and charm that is pretty irresistible. It’s on full display here whenever he flirts with Saint in shameless ways (the dialogue is full of interesting innuendos) and mixes action with comedy; the results are awesome. His funniest moments are with Landis (only eight years older, but still a convincing mother to Grant), who certainly loves her son but would never give him the benefit of a doubt. Saint does an excellent job, even though her character isn’t very believable; Mason could play the villain in his sleep. Shot in striking colors, the film offers more entertainment than most others, but what viewers might remember in particular are two brilliant action sequences. The first is set in the middle of nowhere where Thornhill expects to meet the real Kaplan and ends up being chased by a crop duster; thanks to Hitchcock’s brilliant arrangement, the lack of logic has never bothered anyone. The other great moment is the final showdown between Thornhill and the bad guys on Mount Rushmore. Filmed in a studio, the scene is nevertheless convincingly executed (even though Grant doesn’t end up inside Lincoln’s nose, which was one of the original ideas).

Some may say this film is too smooth; that they prefer the early predecessors, like The 39 Steps (1935). Still, this is the kind of perfection that Hitchcock was aiming for. It is with mathematical precision that he decides when to employ the ingredients of the film, when it needs humor, romance and spectacular excitement. This movie is basically the only education any mainstream filmmaker needs.

North by Northwest 1959-U.S. 135 min. Color. Widescreen. Produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Screenplay: Ernest Lehman. Cinematography: Robert Burks. Music: Bernard Herrmann. Editing: George Tomasini. Production Design: William A. Horning, Robert Boyle, Merrill Pye. Cast: Cary Grant (Roger Thornhill), Eva Marie Saint (Eve Kendall), James Mason (Phillip Vandamm), Leo G. Carroll, Martin Landau, Jessie Royce Landis.

Trivia: James Stewart and Gregory Peck were allegedly considered for the lead; Cyd Charisse for the part of Eve; and Yul Brynner for the part of Vandamm. The original title may refer to Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”, where the prince tries to convince people of his sanity (his line: “I am but mad north-northwest”).

Quote: “Nothing.” (Roger O. Thornhill (Grant) explaining what the “O” stands for; it’s a reference to David O. Selznick who once gave the same reply)

Andra bloggar om: film

Published by Stefan Hedmark 2007-08-02 06:59

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