Week 5 Blog: North by Northwest

The use of large crowds is significant in Alfred Hitchcock’s motion picture titled “North by Northwest.” Crowds are typically portrayed in espionage films in which the protagonist (or even antagonist) blends into the multitude of people to keep his cover. They also represent chaos as seen in this film’s opening scene. The camera switches to various shots to depict the crowded streets of a busy New York City (time stamp – 1:40). Several people are shown aggressively trying to board vehicles (time stamp – 1:57–2:20). This opening scene is symbolic of the movie’s fast-paced and chaotic plot in which advertising executive Roger Thornhill is mistaken for an alibi known as George Kaplan. Being led on a wild chase around the country to find the person behind his dilemma, Thornhill is wrongfully accused of a series of crimes and is pursued by authorities on a national manhunt. The quick movements of the crowd can be perceived as a symbol of Thornhill’s rapid transition to the life of a fugitive.

In another scene, Thornhill attempts to blend into the crowd at a train station to avoid being recognized by authorities because he was mistakenly believed to be have murdered a diplomat (time stamp – 40:52). The camera zooms out as Thornhill is shown to have walked into the mass (time stamp – 41:02). This camera effect, combined with the use of crowds, makes the audience lose focus on Thornhill, which effectively helps him avoid capture by nearby policemen. The camera then pans through the crowd and refocuses on Thornhill as he reappears across the station at the ticket booth (time stamp – 41:15). This scene indicates Hitchcock’s brilliant use of masses of people to contribute to the espionage aspect of his film. The protagonist is able to get to his destination while flawlessly sneaking around authorities thanks to his ability to blend into crowds.

On a side note, out of the six Hitchcock films we have watched in class, three of them share the motif of having a man wrongfully accused and chased by authorities. “North by Northwest” joins the ranks of “The Lodger” and “The 39 Steps,” whose protagonists, The Lodger and Richard Hannay, are wanted for crimes they did not commit. This motif reflects the unique directing style of Hitchcock and contributes to the suspense for the audience by making them wonder if the protagonists are going to be caught and wrongfully persecuted.