Review of North by Northwest (1959) by Philip S — 09 Jan 2012

North by Northwest is one of the most influential movies ever created. It's one of the most influential movies in both the history of television and movies. It's the basis for the Will Smith.Gene Hackman movie, Enemy of The State. And it can even be argued that this movie, which was added to the library of Congress' National Film Registry in 1995, was even the influence behind the tv series--and later movie version of--The Fugitive. And now, over fifty years after the movie's original release, it's being re-released yet again for home viewers.

This Hitchcock masterpiece has so much that makes it the timeless, enjoyable work that it is. First and foremost, the plotline is simple. Unlike today's explosion laden stories that have virtually no story, North by Northwest is another example of what makes classic movies so great. It's a movie that's centered on story. It has substance. Secondly, the story is fast moving. It doesn't get bogged down in itself with unneccesary secondary information. It also has plenty of witty lines that audiences of all ages can laugh at. That's one of the most important aspects of the movie. In an age when so many movies are anything but family friendly, North by Northwest is a movie that audiences of all ages can watch again and again.

The story's simplicity is one of the movie's best factors. At its base, it's a murder mystery. Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) is framed for murder by Phillip Van Damm (James Mason) and his cronies. So he has to chase down Van Damm in order to clear his name, all while trying to keep from being arrested by the police and government agents who are hot on his trail. In the process, he meets undercover government agent Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint). Eve is one of the agents working for the government as they, too, try to arrest Van Damm. This, of course, leads to a romance subplot that will appease any female viewer. There's no other extraneous information to North By Northwest. Again, it's simple. And the fact that it doesn't rely on explosions or overt sexuality at today's level makes it that much better.

The movie's pacing and story go hand in hand. Because there is no extraneous information (I.E. extra storylines), the movie moves very quickly. It's one of those rare movies that as long as it is (it clocks in at just over two hours), the pacing keeps the audience's attention. Much like the old adage goes, "time flies when you're having fun". And fun is what viewers get out of this classic. Viewers watch Roger chase Van Damm across the country, all the way to the climactic ending on top of Mount Rushmore. Few directors since Hitchcock have amanged to make a two-hour movie such a joy to embark on time and again. Perhaps one of the few modern directors who has managed to pull such a feat is Martin Scorsese. He did that with both Shutter Island most recently.

While there's plenty of action throughout the movie, there are some very simple lines that make for very funny moments, too. One of those moments comes late in the movie when Roger tells "The Professor" that he wanted no part of what his organization was doing because he had two ex wives and two bartenders back home that relied on him. One can't help but laugh at such a moment. There are other small funny moments, but this is among the most memorable of those moments.

North by Northwest has more than its share of memorable moments. That applies to the dialogue, and the story itself. It's a wonderful action packed adventure that's safe for the entire family any time of the year. And as audiences have seen from more recent movies and tv shows, that combination has also made it one of the most influential movies in Hollywood's history. Other works have tried to imitate it, but have come up short every time. It goes to show that while imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery, there's simply no beating the original.