Review of North by Northwest (1959) by Uditha D — 26 Nov 2011
Right from the beginning of this very enjoyable thriller, from the opening credits tuned to the background of Herrmann's wonderful music, we get to know what the main preoccupation of this film will be - one long chase.
How Hitchcock portrays Cary Grant's Roger Thornhill in that chase is what makes this enjoyable in the first place. Performances are unparalleled in this feature: a special mention should be made of James Mason, who gives a splendid performance as Phillip Vandamm, arguably the most charming villain in Hitchcock history (a title won easily with his English accent, spoken with a clever mixture of wit and sarcasm in the film).
Eve Saint Marie and Martin Landau (in his first film role) aren't bad either. Leo G. Carroll is also awesome as the Professor, and Jesse Royce Landis is simply humorous as "Mother" (despite her being Grant's actual age).
Everything - especially Herrmann's catchy music - resonates fully with the chase, culminating in a most breathtaking final encounter at Mt Rushmore. This is a definitive thriller in my view, and a must-watch for any Hitchcock fan.
This review of North by Northwest (1959) was written by Uditha D on 26 Nov 2011.
North by Northwest has generally received very positive reviews.
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