Of Hitchcocks Films example essay topic

North by Northwest was created in 1959. It is an exciting, classic Alfred Hitchcock caper thriller. The box-office hit film is one of the most entertaining movies ever made and one of Hitchcocks most famous suspense / mystery stories that were created during his entire career. The quick-paced, glamorous espionage thriller contains a tongue-in-cheek odyssey away from the city. One of the films posters advertised: Only Cary Grant and Alfred Hitchcock ever gave you so much suspense in so many directions.

The dialogue in the movie was very clever, but the music was a little bold. I would say it was cheesy but that probably is not the way to say it in artistic manner. I noticed there were strong beats and drums for climatic and intense parts such as the fight scenes. Softer music was used for the calm, dont-worry-everything-is-safe scenes. I think sound played a major part in the scene were Robert Thornhill (Cary Grant) is out in the field waiting for Mr. Caplin. Waiting for the sound of the cars to get louder, which means they are close, brings impatience.

Then when the plane comes into the scene, the increasing sound is not desired because we know it is after our hero. It is one of those scenes where you do not know what the hero should do since he is incredibly vulnerable all out in the open with virtually nowhere to hide. In addition, that scene is important because it makes the love interest, Ms. Eve Campbell (Eva Marie Saint), look like an accomplice to murder. Lighting and viewpoint played big roles in determining the mood for this movie as well.

I noticed that the lighting gets very soft and misty when there is a romantic scene. It is often low in the mysterious scenes as well. The scene where Thornhill is spying on criminals is an example. The viewpoint is from the lower corner. This gives the viewer a feeling of mystery. Also, the actors face if often very illuminated.

This draws viewers attention to their facial expressions to help you understand their feelings. Another place where the camera leads the eye is at the train station. Campbell is in the phone booth and the camera moves down to show that one of the criminals is in a booth also talking on the phone. Then he gets up and leaves. She steps out right afterwards. This confirms that she is conspiring with the bad people.

One more thing I noticed was how having other things going on can draw the viewers attention. For instance, at the auction, the viewer knows that the negative hero bide d and bought a piece of artwork but because there is an important confrontation going on, we do not think of its significance. The films themes include many plot devices and elements typical of Hitchcock films predominantly the themes of mistaken identity for the innocent ordinary hero, false pretenses and survival in 20th Century America. A light-hearted and complacent hero / bystander (a successful Manhattan advertising executive), very vulnerable, isolated and victimized (abducted and mistaken for a government agent by a group of spies), is on the run as an implicated murder suspect (framed at the UN), and pursued (across part of the US) by a seeming conspiratorial group of spies, the police, and the FBI. As with many of Hitchcocks films, there were Academy Award nominations, but no Oscars.

This film was nominated for three awards: Best Story and Screenplay (Ernest Lehman), Best Color Art Direction / Set Decoration, and Best Film Editing. Some believe that the films premise was based on the famous 1956 international espionage case titled: The Galindez Affair. The film also included a superb score by Bernard Herrmann. However, there were no nominations for Best Picture, Best Director, or Best Score, to name only a few.