Almost perfect Hitchcock

Who is George Kaplan? Well, he is not Roger Thornhill, an advertising executive from New York City, played perfectly by Cary Grant, but the bad guys (James Mason and Martin Landau) become, due to a weird incident involving misunderstandings, thoroughly convinced that Thornhill is Kaplan, and they very much want him (Kaplan) dead.

This incident of mistaken identity leads to a cross-country train trip, climbing around on a President’s face on Mount Rushmore, Cary Grant being wanted for murder, a sizzling but roller-coaster romance, counter-espionage tactics, and encounters with smugglers. In other words, it is quintessential Hitchcock, with great dialogue, lots of twists and turns, a touch of love, great characters, and a story that never stops to take a breath.

What makes this film great? What doesn’t?! Cary Grant (as suave and charming as ever), Eva Marie Saint (coolly gorgeous with a voice like a velvet knife), Leo G. Carroll (quietly powerful), James Mason (a snake never had this much charm before), a young Martin Landau (another snake in the making), and Jessie Royce Landis (all charm and sophisticated wit, a match for Cary Grant, who is supposed to be her son - see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTiMkSNOmdM) are all excellent in their roles. Bernard Hermann’s score fits every scene perfectly. The colors are as rich as the scenery, and the stunts are amazing! Cary Grant climbing around the outside of a building, and then climbing down Mount Rushmore? What more would you want?

My favorite scene is when Roger Thornhill gets trapped in an art auction, where the bad guys are viewed as respectable art collectors bidding on items. Thornhill sees the henchmen of Phillip Van Damm (James Mason) blocking the exits, ready to politely escort him, with a gun stuck in his back, and shoot him miles away, on some deserted country road. How does Thornhill escape? The script gives him a brilliant tactic, and Cary Grant executes it perfectly. It is a joy to watch.

Anything not perfect about this film? I felt that one scene does not come off quite right. Why try to kill someone with a crop dusting plane? That would have a low probability of success. Why did the plane end up the way it did? It just does not add up to me. See this long scene here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twfX7UZlaaw

There are several aspects of this movie that make it dated. The main one is the Cold War themes involving Russia, although that is not as dated in 2008 as it was in, let us say, 1998 or 1988. The cars, the clothing, and the hairstyles also show us the film was made in 1959. Another piece that sticks out is the sums of money mentioned, which would now need at least one more zero added to them, to make them seem contemporary.

Despite the dated-ness and the one awkward scene, the end result is a great adventure thriller, with interesting characters, lots of action, beautiful scenery, lots of surprises, and a sizzling on-and-off romance.

This review is the Good Movies Write-off (http://www.epinions.com/content_5245804676)