Rating of
3.5/4
To flee or not to flee.
memento_mori - wrote on 10/04/13
I've come to notice over my past few viewings of Hitchcock's films that Hitchcock reigns over a genre of his own.
His films always make me smile, cringe, clench my fists, take interest or just pay attention and be entertained. Having now viewed North by Northwest a second time, I can pronounce this without hesitation, Hitchcock's masterpiece.
I consider Psycho a milestone for the horror genre, but I consider this film an absolute treat for all genres.
It's one of the very few films that effectively combined several elements of comedy, thriller and romance and wove them into one.
James Nguyen tried to mimic the style it in 2008, and look what we got: Birdemic. You just can't top the best.
It blurred the line between these genres, working every category of a film flawlessly through Hitchcock's excellent direction and the charming portrayal of Roger O. Thornhill by the great Cary Grant. The acting on his and his co-stars' parts are charming and witty when they need to be.
It even had its quiet parts without music, which built more and more tension throughout the story.
Even the way it's edited allows so much insight and mystery into Thornhill's near desperation during the movie.
I've always been a fan of how relationships between men and women were displayed in Hitchcock's films. Very comforting, in a way.
The iconic music is yet another reminder how much a score in the background can make a film more triumphant. Without a doubt it succeeds in creating an even better atmosphere, a lightheaded characteristic, while still keeping a constant tone of suspense. He really was the master.
It's a movie that if you made it today, reaction would most likely be negative. Something about this huge overblown thriller worked, and it continues to entertain and fascinate today through the eyes of one of the greatest directors who ever lived and made movies for our viewing pleasure.
