50th Anniversary of a classic
Jul. 18th, 2009 02:31 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kittenbiscuits posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
classicfilmYesterday marked the 50th anniversary of the Los Angeles premiere of Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, North By Northwest.
Starring Cary Grant (in his 4th and final collaboration with Hitch), Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason, this film has maintained its "classic" status over the years and has become an integral part of pop culture. With a screenplay by Ernest Lehman and that oh so recognizable score by one of his favorite composers, Bernard Hermann, Hitchcock closed out what some say is his best decade of films. I agree that he made so many great films in the 50's, but his work in the 40's is hard to beat too.
So many iconic scenes in this film. And the suit. It has been called by many as the best suit in film history. I have to admit, he does wear it well.
Even Seth Rogen paid homage to NxNW, Cary, and the suit in a tribute to Hitchock in an issue of Vanity Fair in 2008.
So I have to ask, are we all fans of this film? What are some favorite scenes? Least favorite? Is there anyone here who hasn't seen it? If you like Hitchcock, where does it rank with the rest of his films?
Starring Cary Grant (in his 4th and final collaboration with Hitch), Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason, this film has maintained its "classic" status over the years and has become an integral part of pop culture. With a screenplay by Ernest Lehman and that oh so recognizable score by one of his favorite composers, Bernard Hermann, Hitchcock closed out what some say is his best decade of films. I agree that he made so many great films in the 50's, but his work in the 40's is hard to beat too.
So many iconic scenes in this film. And the suit. It has been called by many as the best suit in film history. I have to admit, he does wear it well.
Even Seth Rogen paid homage to NxNW, Cary, and the suit in a tribute to Hitchock in an issue of Vanity Fair in 2008.
So I have to ask, are we all fans of this film? What are some favorite scenes? Least favorite? Is there anyone here who hasn't seen it? If you like Hitchcock, where does it rank with the rest of his films?
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-18 03:56 pm (UTC)I love this movie. I first saw it when I was quite small and even though I missed 102% of the subtext, I remembered enough to be able to understand the plot the second time I saw it (which must have been mid-teens); probably North by Northwest was the catalyst for my early fascination with spies.
So. Favorite scenes? The opening credits, with Hitchcock missing the bus (and they were still using those buses in 1963, although they were gone by '65). The scene which sets up the plot (and if you blink, you miss it). The rear-projection drunk drive. The train sequence. The scene at headquarters, where the machinations are explained. The auction. Need I go on?
The cringe-worthy stuff tends to be Eva Marie Saint's puffy skirts and dresses. I have no idea why the '50s were so enamored of puffy skirts and dresses. I'm also unfond of the scene in the lodge, if only because the clockwork shows; also the "gay=villainy" thing.
As far as I know, this was my first Hitchcock, so I tend to judge his other films by this one, which means that the less, um, exciting work took a while to impress me.
Oh, and Seth Rogen? So not worthy.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-07-21 06:15 pm (UTC)One of my favorite scenes is when Thornhill runs out of the UN. That high camera shot with the geometric shapes and you see this tiny figure running. And the soundtrack is blaring. Then the fade to the outside of the Feds building. Perfect.
The "gay=villainy" theme is super frustrating, but I'm always intrigued by it. Like "really? are you serious?" kind of intrigued.
I like Seth Rogen, but you're right, he is absolutely not worthy for The Suit (but I still laughed when I saw it).