Review of North by Northwest (1959) by Chris M — 03 Nov 2013

Another masterpiece by the greatest director of all time: Alfred Hitchcock.

"North by Northwest" is about a man named Roger Thornhill, a sly man who is about to find himself in quite a difficult situation. One day Thornhill is kidnapped and brought to the mansion of Lester Townsend. Townsend interrogates Thornhill, believing him to be a man named George Kaplan, a secret agent working for the government. But Thornhill isn't Kaplan, and wishes he could convince these criminals to see the truth.

There is a whole lot more to "North by Northwest." There is twist after twist in this film, and the intensity rarely lets up. Cary Grant is phenomenal in the role. So cool, yet so funny. He was a perfect cast. Originally Jimmy Stewart was set to play Thornhill, but now that I've seen Grant in the role I just can't see Stewart playing him.

Alfred Hitchcock is known as the "master of suspense." This isn't quite a suspense film, but there are some very simple, yet effective suspenseful moments. But underneath all of the action, kidnapping, and talk of secret agents is a great sense of humor. Thornhill is a great lead character, giving us plenty of hilarious lines and situations to leave us laughing.

I just can't recommend this movie enough. Watch it as soon as possible.