Essay about North by Northwest, by Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock’s film North by Northwest (1959) is famed as a classic man-on-the-run thriller, following protagonist Roger Thornhill as he flees across state lines in a mad dash to save his life and unravel the mystery to his extraordinary predicament. However, mid-way through the film Thornhill’s quandary is further complicated by the introduction of Eve Kendall, a beautiful yet mysterious woman he encounters on a train during his escape from the authorities and people trying to kill him. During the dining room scene on the train, Hitchcock expertly uses the camera to convey the characters thoughts and feelings. Interestingly, in a film that has several sequences with complicated cinematography and editing, the dining car scene is†¦show more content†¦Once the flirtations between the two in intensify, Hitchcock transitions into using close shots, beginning when Eve discloses her bribe arranging Thornhill being seated with her, and her subsequent reveal that she knows Thornhill wanted for murder. The use of the close shot provides a better, more intimate view of their expressions as they banter back and forth and the sexual innuendos ramp up. Thornhill’s thoughts are particularly evident across his face as he changes from showing interest in the attractive woman across from him, to tension at being recognized by her, to unabashed glee at the prospect of sleeping with same said beautiful woman, and finally to alarm as he learns police are boarding the train. In contrast to Thornhill’s expressive looks, Hitchcock shows Eve’s as being more controlled and understated. Throughout her linguistic dance with Thornhill, Eve manages to maintain an air of surety about herself, revealing only those pieces of information that she wants him to know. She manages to exude a sense of cool certainty and control during arguably the most sexually suggestive moment of the film: in the only profile shot of the scene, the camera shows Eve as she slowly blows out the flame on the match Thornhill uses to light her cigarette, clasping his hand as she does so. This aura of calm calculation gives the sense that she is in complete control, no doubt dueShow MoreRelatedComparative Analysis Of Vertigo, North By Northwest And Notorious By Alfred Hitchcock1348 Words   |  6 PagesComparative Analysis of Vertigo, North by Northwest and Notorious by Alfred Hitchcock The British master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, made the cinematographic history by the unique auteur approach. 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