"North by Northwest"

I am attempting to watch all of the greatest movies ever made. “North by Northwest” always seems to make the list. It was on TCM this weekend so I checked it out. It was good but not my favorite. “North by Northwest” was too complicated and too splashy – government agents, explosions, a killer crop duster, a chase scene involving Mount Rushmore. I like Hitchcock better when he keeps it simple. So far, I’ve seen the renowned “Psycho,” “Vertigo,” “The Birds” and the less-prominent “Strangers on a Train” and “Shadow of a Doubt,” and I by far prefer “Strangers” and “Shadow.” I don’t need all of this espionage noise – just murder and/or murderous intentions.

There’s also something magical about a Hitchcock movie in black and white. Sometimes old-fashioned Technicolor is distracting and makes the film feel dated. Cary Grant in “North by Northwest” and James Stewart in “Vertigo” both looked so orange. It was unnatural. Eva Marie Saint and Kim Novak both managed to look flawless and people-colored, though. And those suits! Always women in suits in Hitchcock movies. They look fabulous.

The most compelling aspect of “North by Northwest” was the Cary Grant/Eva Marie Saint tête-à-tête, especially their first conversation on the train. It was pretty risqué for 1959!

Anyway, it was worth watching, but I don’t agree with the people who say it’s Hitchcock’s best.