Review of North by Northwest (1959) by Shane S — 14 Jun 2018
North by Northwest failed to carry the burden of its reputation for me. Often touted as one of the best thrillers of all time, I think its fair to say that North by Northwest is considered a "great" movie.
However, the charms that won over audiences in '59 have worn thin. Cary Grant's performance (and the entire Cary Grant character for that matter) fall flat now that sensibilities on acting have changed.
He comes off as more of a snarky jerk than a charismatic everyman. The plot isn't anything remarkable, and none of the characters really have arcs. The protagonist is pretty much the same at the end as he is at the beginning.
NxNW does boast revolutionary camerawork (i.e. the plane sequence) but many scenes look just awful (i.e. the Mount Rushmore set). Especially compared to Japanese films of the same era like Seven Samurai and Throne of Blood, North by Northwest feels more like an antique of film history than a piece of recommendable cinema.
This review of North by Northwest (1959) was written by Shane S on 14 Jun 2018.
North by Northwest has generally received very positive reviews.
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