Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest: The Significance of an Afterthought

Alfred Hitchcock reigns as one of the most creative and talented directors in the history of cinema. He is famous for his manipulation of the genres of suspense and horror and often approaches both genres at a different, more shocking angle than any other directors of his time. His film, North by Northwest, is an example of his manipulation of a viewer’s emotions of fear and anticipation. The movie opens with, the star, Cary Grant’s Roger Thornhill in his natural element, the city.

From there, two mysterious men kidnap him and take him to the country, where the Townsend Mansion is situated. Philip Vandamm, a foreign spy that deciphers American secrets, acts as Leonard Townsend and proceeds to ask Thornhill a number of questions about his knowledge of government affairs all while referring to him as George Kaplan, a fictional government agent. A confused Thornhill refuses to comply with Vandamm’s call of obedience and information and is fed a bottle of bourbon in hopes that when he is placed in a car, he will drive himself off a cliff.

Thornhill manages to get himself arrested for driving while intoxicated. Thornhill then spends the rest of the movie attempting to find out the source of Townsend’s, or rather Vandamm’s, interest in George Kaplan and how the beautiful woman he met on the train, Eve Kendall, plays a role in the entire mystery. The mysterious and sketchy undertones in the acting remind the viewers that every character holds a secret. The acting also emphasizes the mood of suspense created by the story and action. However, in North by Northwest, Hitchcock places more weight on the editing and camera angles within a shot rather than acting.

Since Hitchcock is known for being a formalistic director, he places less emphasis on the actor’s contribution to the shot. One of the key scenes, the crop duster scene, in North by Northwest, is devoid of all dialogue. Instead, the scene derives suspense from the editing. Thornhill spends seven minutes trying to save himself from the rogue crop duster that is trying to kill him. The plane dips and weaves, all while shooting chemicals and bullets that are meant to be deadly for Thornhill. The shots, at some points flashes to expressions of fear on Thornhill’s face, but the placement of the plane, often headed straight for the camera, overpowers Thornhill’s expression.

The camera angles within the crop duster scene add to the suspense of the scene. There are instances within the scene that the plane reaches normal altitude. During those long shots, when the plane is only in the distance, the viewers, as well as Thornhill have a reprieve. The next instant, the plane nosedives into the shot nearly taking off Thornhill’s arm or head. After that, the audience doesn’t even have the chance to breathe a sigh of relief because bullets are raining down on Thornhill from off the frame.

The camera cuts to a shot of the plane making a wide turn and returning for another round of horror. For seven minutes straight, the camera is weaving and whirling as the plane does, creating feelings of disorientation and apprehension. The audience never knows what the faceless villains within the plane have up their sleeves next.

Although camera angles and placement within the shot during the crop duster scene elicit fear and apprehension in the audience, Cary Grant’s facial expressions add to the suspense. Since the film isn’t a stage production, the use of facial expressions becomes a subtle element in the scene. A close-up shot can zero in on Grant’s surprised expression as the plane makes a sudden turn and heads straight for him once again. The shot can also accentuate Grant’s sigh of relief as the plane passes overhead in a failed attempt to him harm. However, Hitchcock only uses Grant’s facial expressions sparingly. Instead of having the acting become the key element of the scene, he prefers to use the acting as a mirror of the audience’s feelings.

Since Hitchcock considered editing the defining element of a film, his use of acting as a means of expression was subtle. He preferred to use cinematic techniques such as shots and placement to instill anticipation in his viewers. Acting within his film usually seemed as if it had been considered an after thought, often mirroring the audience’s sense of fear and anticipation only to confirm what their feelings really were. For these reasons, Hitchcock became known as one of the most, if not most, groundbreaking directors. His films continue to scare or confuse audiences today.