North By Northwest

I got around to watching North By Northwest. This is my first Hitchcock movie (discounting Psycho, which everyone and her shower killer should’ve seen). Cary Grant plays Roger O Thornhill, an advertising executive who is mistaken for a government spy. He is chased across the country by the members of a secret organization who are afraid he might spill the beans on their plan. He is charged with murder of an UN official and the police are looking out for him too. While under pursuit he meets Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint), who is attracted to him and helps him. Who are these guys who’re behind him? Where can Thornhill go as he is relentlessly chased across the country? What’s all this for?

The movie opens with a superb title sequence music which hooked me. As in all of his movies, Hitchcock makes an early cameo appearance. The story is intriguing, full of twists, moves very fast (reminded me of The Bourne Supremacy) and always stays a step ahead of the viewer. Only after the credits roll, you realize that not everything in the plot made sense. In fact, it is full of holes. There are many iconic scenes, like the one where Cary is chased by a crop dusting plane in the middle of nowhere. Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and especially James Mason (what a voice!) have acted well. Eva is gorgeous in this movie, frankly I was floored! The movie is surprisingly loaded to the brim with delightful double entendres (I didn’t know Hitchcock did this). Add to this the suspense and the romance between Cary and Eva, and you really feel like you’re watching a James Bond movie. In fact, I looked it up, James Bond movies started from 1962 and this was released in 1959. I now definitely think that this movie must’ve influenced the Bond series. This was a real treat, I’ll definitely be watching more Hitchcock now.