Week 5 North by Northwest

     Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" employs many twists to keep the viewers in suspense.  These twists are a direct result of Hitchcock shifting the characters' hierarchy of knowledge.  Characters are often oblivious to the plans that are being carried out behind their backs.  Hitchcock enforces this idea of limited knowledge through the frequent use of point of view shots.
    The scene where Thornhill sneaks into Vandamm's cabin on Mount Rushmore clearly demonstrates the shifting of the hierarchy of knowledge at play.  At first, Thornhill is clinging onto the balcony of the cabin, sneaking glances at Vandamm and Leonard.  But when they move away from the living room, he comes completely oblivious to their conversation (1:54:20).  This makes the viewers curious as to the reason for their argument shortly after.  I personally thought that Leonard was going to betray Vandamm for self-profit.  This point is further emphasized by another POV shot, this time from Vandamm.  The shot shows Leonard staring at Vandamm menacingly, purposely leaving out the gun (1:56:16).  At the point, Vandamm really believed he was shot, so from his point of view, he has no idea about the truth of the gun.
     Thornhill, having witnessed Vandamm and Leonard's exchange, now has the more knowledge than anyone else in the cabin.  As he stares down into the living room after sneaking into Eve's room, he is able to see everything clearly (1:59:13).  This POV shot signifies how little the others know compared to him.  For once, Thornhill can take the initiative instead of being led around like a puppet.  Hitchcock shows that dominance in the hierarchy of knowledge translates directly to control.