Emotional roller coaster, or film by Alfred Hitchcock?

Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest takes the viewer through a roller coaster of emotional twists and turns while providing comedic, dramatic, and even romantic effects. From the beginning of the film abnormality presents itself with the signature MGM lion against an untraditional green background. This is followed by offset horizontal and diagonal lines which stretch across the screen introducing the credits. The opening scene confronts the audience with the busy cosmopolitan atmosphere of a big city. We are introduced to the character Roger Thornhill who is presented as a busy business man who although has a great deal of responsibility appears to have everything under control while he dictates and discusses his obligations with his secretary. This very short first phase of the film gives the audience completely misrepresented idea of what the film will be about. Because it is precisely when the main character Roger Thornhill steps foot into a restaurant/bar where the plot, mood, and emotional effect on the audience is completely shifted.
Hitchcock transfers multiple aspects of the movie by creating a character that doesn’t exist. However, this character’s role is subconsciously taken by the main character Roger Thornhill who is completely perplexed when kidnapped at the restaurant. It is at this point in the movie where the main character is forced to have a double identity, which is a very effective way to grab and never let go of the audiences’ attention. Roger Thornhill is now George Caplain and unknowingly fighting for his life.
Although this is a serious situation, being kidnapped and wanted dead by your abductors, Hitchcock makes comedy out of each situation that follows. One terrific example of this is when the abductors intoxicate Roger Thornhill A.K.A George Caplain and force him to drive on a narrow road beside a cliff. In this situation of life or death the main character murmurs out unintelligible phrases to which the audience can’t help but laugh and smile. These comedic passages continue as Thornhill is eventually chased down by the police and forced to tell his story of abduction while inebriated. Of course the police will have trouble believing anybody who is driving under the influence.
Not all of the movie is filled with comedic passages in fact much of the film has the subtle effects of a light horror film as the music and emotions experienced by the audience are similar to those felt in a gruesome and bloody film covering massacre. In a book titled No One’s Perfect author Anthony Lane refers to this idea of “temporary distress” which the audience feels when watching a Hitchcock film. Not only this evident by the incredible plot and perfectly shot scenes with ideal camera angles. But also Hitchcock’s use of music is most evident in creating this effect on the audience as there are many instances where uneasy music, suggesting or foreshadowing problems or conflict which the main character will soon come face to face with. This music can be described as fast, eerie, and bit dark when foreshadowing the unwanted events to come. Furthermore Hitchcock does use happy music, or music with a light feel -something that one would dance to with their significant other in that time period- to foreshadow wanted events of love or optimism. Hitchcock does this better than any other director I know, as it seems that each portion of the score is placed ideally or perfectly in each moment of the film.
The romantic situations which occur in Hitchcock’s films are usually subtle with little emphasis on true love. However, in this particular film the romantic situation between Roger and Eva is viewed at first as beautiful and perfect then broken and torn and finally true and infinite. Within the movie there is a side love story that transitions the mood of the film multiple times creating an infinite amount of mood changes, like in any Hitchcock film. The audience can’t help but hope for the success of love because Hitchcock tries so hard to make the love believable and wanted.
All of these aspects mentioned are all equally important when analyzing the success and genius of an Alfred Hitchcock film. However, I believe that one of the most important aspects of a film is the cinematography, the angles, lighting, use of zoom etc. This is where the film really came together as each situation was complimented by a proper camera angle or panned to add to the already strong emotion of the scene. One particular point in the film where I felt Hitchcock’s used camera angles well was when Van Dam and his college talk about disposing Eva’s body from a “height”, as soon as that word is said the camera moves from a direct face shot to an angle from high above the characters heads to emphasize this idea of height. Effects like this can be seen throughout the film.
Each effect which Hitchcock used whether happy or sad, frightening or comfortable, romantic or conflicting fit perfectly within each situation of the film.