North by Northwest

North by Northwest is a film made in 1959 and is directed by Alfred Hitchcock. This film includes genres such as action, romance, and comedy all rolled into one which makes it appealing to many types of people. It was a very interesting movie to watch because even though it was made in the late 50’s, it was still comparable to movies that are made today. The storyline was similar to suspense movies that are made today which is interesting because it reveals that it has not changed very much since then. Of course the graphics and equipment has come a long way since this movie was made but for the most part it reflects a similarity to recent films.

            Three main techniques that I noticed were used a lot during the film were establishing shot, over-the-shoulder and point of view. Establishing shots are important for the viewer to understand when and where things are taking place. A director will use this type of shot to establish the scene and put things into context. The first establishing shot is at the beginning of the film when it shows many people walking out of the building and down the street. This signifies a very busy time of the day in a big city. Another establishing shot is toward the end of the film when it shows a view of Mt. Rushmore.  This particular shot reveals that the scene has drastically changed since the first shot of a busy city. It is now in a more remote place which led me to believe something bad was going to happen in this area since no one was around. This shot established this feeling which was appropriate since the conclusion of the film occurred in this place. The second shot which was evident throughout the film was over-the-shoulder shots. One scene which constantly flips from over-the-shoulder shot to another over-the-shoulder shot is the scene where Thornhill and Kendall are talking in the restaurant on the train. The person shown on screen depends on who is talking at the moment. When Thornhill is talking it shows the back of Kendall and vice versa. This technique puts all of the focus on the person who is talking at that particular moment. The third technique I noticed was point of view. According to Engaging Cinema, point of view shots “show us what a character sees from her vantage point. The camera’s perspective matches the characters’” (Nichols, 42). This type of shot puts the viewer in the position of the character which then engages the viewer deeper into the film. One notable point of view shot came toward the end of the film when Thornhill is on the balcony in the house and the camera view is down and the two men and Kendall on the lower level.

            The film review I read was called North by Northwest and the headline read “Metro's "North by Northwest" is the Alfred Hitchcock mixture as before--suspense, intrigue, comedy, humor. Seldom has the concoction been served up so delectably. It should be top b.o.” which was written by the staff at Variety. I thought it was a very thorough review and what I thought was interesting was the first paragraph when it talks about the loose ends present in the movie. When I was done watching the movie there were some things I was unsure about and this review explains how some things did not fully get resolved. Even though some things were unclear I agreed with the review in the fact that the movie was still entertaining even if some things were missing. The mixture of suspense and comedy made it an enjoyable film. 

            I enjoyed watching this film because I have never really looked at films that were made in that time period and the movies that I have seen from years past I never really liked watching. This was definitely a new experience watching this movie and it makes me more apt to watch older films and also to watch more of Hitchcock’s movies.