Movie Review #8: North By Northwest, 1959
I always say that I'm directionally dyslexic when it comes to reading maps, street signs or following verbal directions. In this movie, Cary Grant, who lands in the middle a spy story, finds himself headed in the wrong direction for nearly the entire movie. Although I'm sure that Cary would have relished the idea of GPS or a Garmin...one that showed the way out of trouble...every turn he made got him deeper into the world of espionage and secret agents.
Playing the role of the unsuspecting bystander well, Cary's performance is strong, and matched well by his co-star Eva Marie Saint. Together, they make for an engaging performance, with wit and sarcasm woven in among the more serious dialog and storyline. Bad guy James Mason's performance is very convincing as well.
It is interesting to see how Alfred Hitchcock carries his theme of directions throughout the movie. He has the characters travel from New York to Chicago and South Dakota. He even places Cary at a crossroads (which is a significant turning point in his main character's understanding in the story) in Indiana for the famous plane scene. We looked it up to see if it was really filmed in Indiana on Route 41, but no, it was actually in California! After visiting Mt. Rushmore last year with my daughter, I was particularly interested in the scenes filmed around the famous monument. I'm not sure that I believe that the storyline is plausible, but I sure sat on the edge of my seat when they were climbing all over the presidents' heads! Like directions, I do not do heights well.
On the AFI 100 Years' list, this movie ranks 40th. As I'm a fan of many Hitchcock films, this is one of my personal favorites. I recommend it, if only to take in the scenery!
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