North by NorthWest

Analysing the trailer: 

This trailer is effective in appealing to the audience because there is a lot of fast paced action throughout. It gives a good amount of information without giving away essential spoilers. There are also some comedy moments in the trailer too. Also in the trailer, Alfred Hitchcock and the main actors/actresses are spoken about a lot which would draw more attention to this film as they was very well known at the time and would there attract more people to be able to view their film. The ending of the trailer makes people want to see this film as it ends on a cliffhanger as Eva Marie Saint is left handing from Mount Rushmoore and this makes people want to watch the film because they will want to know what is going to happen to her.

“Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action,”

 Find examples of this in ‘North by North West’.

A good technique of a thriller is the use of fast paced, frequent action. North by Northwest is a good example of this. This happens because Cary Grant falls in love with a woman that he met on a train, but the film takes a dramatic turn when Eva Marie Saint covers for Cary Grant by faking his death. They almost fall off Mount Rushmoore while trying to get away.

Another good use of fast paced, frequent action is when the scene where Cary Grant is in the desert. He is seen to be waiting for a man to come by but he doesn’t turn up and that it was just a set up by the FBI. Then the crop duster comes and this is when the frequent action happens as it is seen to be shooting at Cary and the audience are left on the edge of their seats wondering if he will survive or not. The use of no sound works well here as it makes the audience focus on the scene more as there are no distractions.

“Resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more powerful and better equipped villains.”

Is this true of  ‘North by North West’?

This is a true statement in North by North West as Cary Grant is seen as the resourceful hero. This happens when he fakes his death so that the police won’t chase him anymore. We find out that he is the resourceful hero because the gun that is used to kill him is actually a fake and he is actually alive.

 “Devices such as suspense, red herrings and cliff-hangers are used extensively.”

These specific devices are used well in North-by-North West. For example, the red herring is used in this film when Eva Marie Saint is actually working against the villains rather than for them as the audience would think that she is working for the villains throughout the film. A cliffhanger is used  when Eva Marie Saint is seen to be hanging from Mount Rushmoore which leaves the audience to worry about what is going to happen. In the 'Auction Scene' James Mason's character is seem being very obsessed over Eva Marie Saint as he holds her neck in a very forceful manner. The over the shoulder shot looking down at Eva shows her to be very vulnerable and small

In the scene at the auction, a man named James Mason holds Eva Marie Saint’s neck back a lot very forcefully. This creates suspense because the audience feel the worst for Eva Marie as James Mason is seen to be very obsessed with her with worries the audience.

The Crop Duster Scene

In this particular scene, we see some strange irony when the unexpected happens. When Cary Grant is waiting for the man to appear, he is actually set up by the FBI. This is an important scene in the film and the use of no sound is used well by Alfred Hitchcock.

"A thriller is a villain driven plot, whereby he presents obstacles the hero must overcome.”

This is a true statement about this film. This is because all throughout the film, the villains are always trying to kill Cary Grant which is the villain driven plot. The MacGuffin is used well in this film as a microfilm is what the villains are after and they are willing to sacrifice anything and everything to get this microfilm which is the villain driven plot. It causes drama as we see the desperation of the villains to be able to get this microfilm which makes the film more interesting as we the villains making every attempt possible to get the microfilm.

 Has he succeeded in this film? Where? When? Hitchcock said thrillers allow the audience, "to put their toe in the cold water of fear to see what it's like”

I think that Hitchcock succeeded with the “put their toe in the cold water of fear to see what it’s like”. This is because the audience often feel like they are in Cary Grants shoes when he is in the life or death situations. This is effective as it makes the audience be able to connect more with Cary to actually be able to have the same feelings as Cary. The use of the thriller conventions make the audience feel for Cary and make them wonder what it is like to be in Cary’s shoes when he is in danger. This is what keeps the audience interested.