One of the best of Hitchcock (although as far as his films go, Hitch probably has the best track record of any director living or dead). This film is basically the original "Fugitive" and follows pretty closely the plot to his "The 39 Steps" from 1935 a man is mistaken for a CIA agent and is caught in a "deadly game of cat and mouse," as it were. I LOVE the music and the visuals that start out the film it makes me wish I had been alive to see it in a movie theater in the 50's. And although this film is over 2 hours long, there's no way you can be bored the suspense is so intense you'll be chewing your nails the whole time (I did the first time I saw it). Cary Grant is excellent as always, James Mason plays one of the most sinister of Hitchcock's villains (I would LOVE to have this guy's voice) and Eva Marie Saint looks gorgeous and plays her part well. I also enjoyed seeing Martin Landau in an early role as one of James Mason's henchmen and Jessie Royce Landis (the mother from "To Catch a Thief") as Grant's mother (although both were very near the same age at the time). And I love any film score by Bernard Herrmann this guy should have had a mantle covered with awards, but as luck would have it, most of his scores went not only un-awarded but un-nominated (as this one did). By all means, if you don't own it, pick it up today and by the way, good job for FINALLY releasing it on DVD, MGM.
Buy North by Northwest (50th Anniversary Edition in Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2009) Now
Definitive Hitch! Everything about this film says Hitch. The musical score(Bernard Hermann) spells trouble even in the opening credits,the camera angles are signature, his favorite actors(Cary Grant Eva Marie Saint, Leo G. Carroll),and the edge of your seat story. All the things we love.It gets better though, if it weren't for the style of clothes and cars, you would think this film was made yesterday. Warner Bros. has made a beautiful transfer of this 1959 classic, "North by Northwest", onto DVD.
A little of the story though for those who have not seen it(not too much though,don't want to spoil anything for you). It's a case of mistaken identity. Grant's. He is taken for a goverment agent by some counterspies, abducted, framed for murder and nobody believes his story. He goes on the run from the police as well as the thugs.While on the run he meets the beautiful Eva Marie Saint and sparks fly between them. (Anytime there is romance in a Hitch film you do not need an R rating to feel the passion!)So what's her part in all this? Why isn't the goverment helping him? Is he being crossed?Doublecrossed? Maybe even triple crossed? Find out as the thrilling chase goes from New York to South Dakota. And check out all the great scenery and landmarks along the way, as Cary travels by train,is chased by a plane(very scary stuff)and ends up atop of Mount Rushmore.
It's one of Director Alfred Hitchcock's greatest thrillers.Grant,Saint, and Carroll, well, they shine as usual.And along for the ride also thrilling us are James Mason and a young Martin Landau. There's also Jessie Royce Landis as Grant's mother who's wit matches his quip for quip. She's great.
Now back to the DVD. It should be the poster child for why we love DVDs now. I have never seen this film look so good. Picture sharp, widescreen(matted) gives us great views, and the soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1 is amazing for a film of this age.It's a film to be watched over and over(and now that it's on DVD you don't have to worry about it wearing out!)If you can't get enough there's several features, the making of,audio commentary,still gallery,audio only if you want to hear just the score,trailers, and subtitles.Hitch fans..you'll love it.
Oh by the way...do you know where Hitch makes his cameo appearance in this one? Of course you do, but just in case...don't miss the first 5 minutes.
Goot Eeeevening...and have fun......LaurieWarner Bros. has outdone itself with this new, pull-out-the-stops, first-class presentation of one of Hitch's best films.
When I first read that Warners had rights to the film and would subsequently be releasing the DVD, I was nervous. Though the studio has championed the format from its very inception, I remained concerned that they would simply rehash the laserdisc transfer from a few years back and issue the title in their "bargain" DVD line due to the age of the film, and thus consign Hitchcock fans to suffer the ignominy of seeing "North by Northwest" denied the top flight treatment lavished by Universal Studios on the Hitchcock titles they control. (Universal's stubborn refusal to re-issue the impressively restored "Vertigo" in anamorphic should be a crime, however.)
But what a surprise this disc turned out to be!! Warner Bros. was paying attention, and one-upped Universal with this terrific effort. Simply stated, the picture quality on this disc is ASTONISHING. This is without question the best this film has ever looked and that has only partly to do with the resolution and stability of digital video. A completely new print has been struck, and cleaned up indeed, it is doubtful the film looked this good on its opening night premiere. There's hardly a nick or scratch to be seen, and grain is totally absent. It's as if they took a giant sponge and wiped years of age-induced desaturation away.
Anamorphically enhanced, the DVD's compression is excellent blacks are velvety and rich, color is deep and vibrant, and edge enhancement (which results in unnatural "shimmer") is seemingly non-existant. For a film of this vintage, the image is nothing short of eye-popping, especially if the DVD player's component video outputs are used. Hopefully, this should raise the bar for Universal, whose releases (save for "Vertigo") of Hitch's films have tended to be grainy and a bit nicked-up in areas, though certainly still bettering any previous video incarnations. All the special features in the world don't make a difference if the print of the movie itself isn't presented in the best way possible. Make no mistake, the Universal releases look good very good but not as good as this one does.
If you're a Hitchcock fan like me, owning this film is a no-brainer. If you're a film fan at all, this classic deserves no, demands a place in your collection. That Warner Brothers has paid it proper respect with a DVD of this quality (not only is the transfer sparkling, but the extras are rich in content and well done, too) is something that, like the film, is truly wonderful.
Want North by Northwest (50th Anniversary Edition in Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2009) Discount?
Forget about the numerous improbabilities (e.g. that death by cropduster is an effective way to get rid of one's enemies; that a good place for foreign agents to have a hide-out is right on top of Mt. Rushmore; that Jessie Royce Landis is old enough to be Cary Grant's mother, etc.)--and just enjoy this ride. I've seen this movie several times and tend to forget the details between viewings--which allows me to be surprised all over again. And surprise is what North by Northwest is all about.Casting James Mason and a young but very creepy Martin Landau as the villains was sheer genius. Eva Marie Saint is the icy blonde in this one and suggests a fair amount of fire beneath that ice. Grant, already in his mid-50s, was obviously meant to be younger (mid-40s at the most), but you'll find yourself suspending disbelief about that and everything else and just allowing yourself to get caught up in this extremely entertaining film. There is no better example of Hitchcock's cinematic mastery. Aside from the aforementioned crop duster pursuit (scarier than any low-flying plane scene in any WWII movie), there's the classic Rushmore sequence, and, of course, the tunnel bit at the end which delighted would-be Freudian critics with its (daring for the time?) symbolism. It's as witty as it is adventurous, with a wonderful Ernest Lehman script, excellent cinematography by Robert Burks and a great score by Bernard Herrmann. A classic...but then, you probably don't need me to tell you that.
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