North by Northwest is my favorite Hitchcock picture among all of my favorite Hitchcock pictures.
Shadow of a Doubt and
Notorious and
Rear Window and
Strangers on a Train and
Rebecca and
Psycho are all amazing, but if I had to pick just one it will always be
NbNW. I had it in the fifteenth position on this ballot but could easily have been top ten material on another day. This is Hitchcock's magnum opus incorporating the best elements of all of his films to that point (much the same reason
King Lear is my favorite Shakespeare play) and cleverly remixing them into one pot that has mistaken identities, spies, a MacGuffin, scenes of great tension, and moments of laugh-out-loud comedy. Screenwriter Ernie Lehman set out to write, "The Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures," and he essentially succeeded. After this film Hitch made stylistic breaks with
Psycho and
The Birds and the Master of Suspense never quite returned to the tone and style of his films from the 1950s, and when he did return to the same kind of spy milieu as in
Torn Curtain the fun was drained from the proceedings.
I have been lucky to see
North by Northwest on the big screen several times over the years, though it doesn't seem to play in revival houses as regularly as things like
Lawrence of Arabia and
Blade Runner, both of which I have seen over twenty times theatrically, partially because I am obsessed with them and partially because they are available. But it is always a treat when
NbNW comes around (you know, back when there used to be movie theaters). Witty, stylishly playful fun with perfect turns by Cary Grant, James Mason, and Eva Marie Saint. Cannot get enough.
"That wasn't very sporting, using real bullets."
That makes four of my choices so far.
HOLDEN'S LIST
10.
Singin’ in the Rain (#64)
15.
North by Northwest (#57)
16.
Young Frankenstein (#77)
19.
Brazil (#100)
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