IMDB's Top 250 list is one of internet infamy. Known for being a "slightly" less snobbish film list than that of say AFI, IMDB's list is a list of the people. Voted on by regular visitors to the site, the list isn't without its flaws. Its very skewed to more recent films.The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (#4 on the list), a film that forever has a place in my own personal top 10, was released in 1966 and despite the film's title still a part of today's culture, it has 400,000 less votes than 2008's The Dark Knight (#9). Some recent films are questionably high, yet it does create a nice blend of both "classics" and new classics. It's basically a list of important films in our society. Films that are culturally relevant, crowd-pleasing, and ones that advanced filmmaking to what it is today. Until I see a better list that comprises average movie goers views and that of film enthusiasts, IMDB's top 250 is a list I recommend for anyone looking to expand their film knowledge.
So with that introduction, I decided to begin this project of finally taking down some of the blemishes on my own personal list of films I need to watch. And what better way to start such a project than with a film by a director who had a profound impact on the art and industry.
Alfred Hitchcock
My relationship with Alfred Hitchcock's films has mixed feelings. Respect and admiration aside for the legendary director, I haven't fallen in love with all of the films I've seen from the master of suspense. The first film I saw was of course the film most often attached to his name: Psycho (1960). No need to repeat what everyone else has already said about it; I'll just say that it certainly lives up to the hype.
I then decided to follow-up with arguably his second most widely known film Rear Window. With ridiculously high expectations, I finished Hitchcock's voyeuristic tale feeling underwhelmed. The cinematography and set design, the way Hitchcock plays with the camera and your expectations, and the always very watchable James Stewart are all things deserving of praise, yet the story doesn't quite match the greatness of its theme (a problem I similarly had with North By Northwest). Sadly, to this point the only other films of his I've seen are Vertigo and Strangers on a Train. The aforementioned being a tolerable, sometimes great James Stewart mystery and the latter a well-executed and brilliantly plotted favorite.
#37 North By Northwest:
Now, I can finally say I've seen North By Northwest. A film often remembered mainly for a scene involving Cary Grant eluding a plane that for reasons unknown wants him dead. It's an amazing scene. Its funny thinking of a Hitchcock film in 3D, but with this current explosion of 3D revivals such as The Lion King 3D and soon to be released Titanic 3D, I can't think of a more terrifying and mesmerizing experience than seeing that plane seemingly bursting through the big screen towards us. But honestly, its not just that scene that makes North By Northwest a film worth watching. After all, North By Northwest is actually an action film and its got the car chases and climatic confrontation on Mount Rushmore to prove it.
Hitchcock uses mistaken identity to put star Cary Grant on the run. To explain the plot would be pointless. Much like Rear Window, Hitchcock is more focused on the characters and how they handle their situations than actually worrying about satisfying the audience with explanations. The entire plot could be called a MacGuffin. Not a fatal problem, however, since this is a film full of great "cinema moments" and by that I mean its less about finding out the mystery and more about enjoying the pure visceral moments on screen. It's also surprisingly very funny. Hitchcock sets the tone at the very beginning with his cameo. Still, the story wanders too much and I don't think it went in an interesting direction. North By Northwest is not a film I particularly enjoyed for ALL of its two-hour plus run time. It's certainly not a bad film, but it could have been better.
An all-time classic North By Northwest is not.
There are moments that make it worth watching and I had a good time laughing at the cheeky final shot, but an all-time classic film North By Northwest is not. Classic Hitchcock? Sure, but when your film's secondary concerns are telling a gripping story instead of being your first concern, I think you have a problem. Maybe in 1959 it wasn't a problem because of less competition, but when films like Psycho and Strangers On a Train still live up to and exceed the standards of today, then its necessary to point out the flaws of a film that fails to match such excellence in filmmaking.
Travis Young - I've always found film criticism to be like a fun competition. I love reading other reviews and having discussions on movies. The ability ...
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