Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest 4K review by Bobby Blakey
Love him or hate the man, there is no denying that Alfred Hitchcock was one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. His attention to detail and ability to build suspense was second to none. In 1950 he delivered a film that some consider to one of the greatest films ever made with North by Northwest from writer Ernest Lehman and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and Jamesa Mason. Now Warner Bros is bringing the classic mystery film to 4K for the first time.
North by Northwest follows an innocent man mistaken for a spy in one of director Alfred Hitchcock's greatest thrillers. While leaving New York's Plaza Hotel, advertising executive Roger Thornhill has the misfortune of raising his hand just as the name "George Kaplan" is paged--starting a lethal case of mistaken identity and a nonstop game of cat and mouse as he is pursued across North America by espionage agents trying to kill him--and by police who suspect him of murder.
This is one of those classic films I swore I had seen years ago, but upon revisiting I realized I never had so it was a welcome experience to get to dive into this mystery for the first time in this hi-def format. It is no surprise that the film is so highly regarded as it is a perfectly grafted mystery that wastes no time getting right into the confusion of it all and keeping the audience as lost as Grant’s character Kaplan is throughout the entire film.
The performances are great across the board and offer up some of the overacting of the time that I truly love. At the same time, it is filled with nuanced performances from numerous characters to keep you guessing the truth of it all and making everyone a suspect. This is a prime example of why
Grant is a true star of the time with not only his great look, but his perfection in performance to this character on every level. There is almost a James Bond -esque vibe to the whole thing in how it comes together.
This was a truly great experience getting into this film with no reference other than the knowledge of its existence. There aren’t a lot of films from this far back that can hold up as something still interesting and relevant, but this one does just that and more.
In addition to the film this release offers bonus content including commentary, featurettes and so much more. Add this classic film to your collection with North by Northwest available now on 4K for the first time ever from Warner Bros Home Entertainment.