North by Northwest (1959)
As Trump dismantles the deep state it reminded us of a classic film of deep state malfeasance, North by Northwest. This silver screen masterpiece is a spy thriller with a touch of comedy courtesy of the fantastic Cary Grant. Grant is pitted against both foreign spies and the shadowy United States Intelligence Agency (the CIA didn’t want their name used).
North by Northwest is the template for spy thrillers and an inspiration for many future films. Directed by the renowned Alfred Hitchcock it relates the story of Roger Thornhill, a Madison Avenue advertising executive, who is mistakenly identified by a foreign spy ring as their target. Thornhill is kidnapped by the foreign agents (who didn’t register btw and could be charged with a FARA violation) and is set up to be killed.
The foreign spies got the wrong man in more ways than one as Thornhill refuses to go gently into that good night and proves to be quite the adversary. The United States Intelligence Agency (described as the CIA and the FBI rolled into one) is aware of Thornhill’s predicament but are willing to let him die if it means keeping their intel operation alive.
However, Thornhill’s stubborn resolve and ingenuity is becoming a problem for both the foreign spies and the USIA and the latter is forced to step in and help him. The help comes in the form of the stunning Eve Kendall, and it’s the help any man would be happy to accept. Thornhill refuses to go along with the USIA’s program however, and continues his own investigation, proving himself to be quite the amateur secret agent.
Thornhill is portrayed by the charismatic Cary Grant. Grant’s performance is fantastic and, being in every scene, he makes the film. He brings moments of levity, solid action scenes, and some great banter with Eva Marie Saint who plays Eve Kendall.
Hitchcock creates some dynamic actions scenes with the iconic airplane attack scene and a suspenseful chase across Mount Rushmore.
Ian Fleming claimed to have used this Cary Grant character as the mold for James Bond – good looking, charming, and dynamic. This is a groundbreaking spy movie, as the CIA itself was little more than 10 years old at the time of filming.
North by Northwest is long for its day, running 2 hours and 15 minutes. It’s a twisting story, and that takes time to develop. We couldn’t find it for free and it’s the usual $4 on the streaming services. North by Northwest is well written, has one of the all-time greatest actors, one of the all-time greatest directors, and a beautiful blonde – what else could one want in a film! Enjoy!
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