Saturday Suggestion: North By Northwest
November 15th, 2008, by Jack
In an attempt to earn my ‘movie connoisseur’ stripes, I’ve been watching a whole bunch of wonderfully old films lately. You know, the ones where women are expected to be weak and overly dependent on the male hero, and where love scenes don’t expose any wicked body parts. Films where the sets actually look like film sets, and plot twists are usually figured out well before they happen because, well, we’ve seen them rehashed for decades.
I can get used to most of these things. What I just can’t get used to, however, is the way in which many of these films have become unrealistic because of technological advances in the past year. It’s maddening to see how many problems that these black and white protagonist face could be solved easily with current technology.
And so I sit watching North By Northwest (1959), considered to be one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best films. I’m screaming at Cary Grant to call the police with his Blackberry Diamond (he seems the type), or at the very least call his lady friend to warn her of imminent death. Then I realize that not only were mobile phones non-existent when this was filmed, but that even Star Trek’s equivalent-but-three-times-as-large doodad had not been conceived of. Hell, Star Trek itself was still a twinkle in young Roddenberry’s eye at the time this film was made. Maddening, I tell you!
Aside from these minor frustrations, though, the film really is quite good. North By Northwest is in many ways a typical Hitchcock film; a handful of twists, masterful suspense, great cinematography, and great acting. Unlike most other films in his oeuvre (*ding*, connoisseur points!), this one is quite humorous, and the protagonist is less brooding than usual. Cary Grant does a great job playing a smooth marketing executive who is first unexpectedly kidnapped, then survives a murder attempt, and finally spends the rest of the film working out why people are after him.
Initially, the twists, situations, and acting might seem contrived and predictable, but don’t be fooled; it’s not because the film is old, but because there are even more clever plot twists awaiting you, dear viewer. By the end of the film, most of what you’ve seen makes sense, and it all adds up to a masterpiece.
It clock at two hours, so should make for perfect and wholesome Saturday evening entertainment.