North By Northwest Analysis

Creating Emotion and Drama: North by Northwest The Montage used in North by Northwest helps impart the viewer with similar emotions that the characters are experiencing while simultaneously providing the viewer with a objective point of view that lends dramatic irony. Nearing the end of the film, Roger Thornhill escapes from the hospital to find Eve knowing she is supposed to ‘leave the country within the hour.’ First, he is there only because of his love for Eve, but he then discovers she is in grave danger when he observes Leonard telling Vandamm about his distrust in Eve, through the window. Roger is spying on the house, like a peeping tom. He is playing the voyeur that Hitchcock often creates in his films, which gives the viewer a valuable
The shots are rather long at this point, but he finally makes it to the relative safety of the shadows of the architecture. The screen is then filled with a close shot of the landing strip, with the lights blinking on and off. Paired with daunting music, a sense of urgency is felt by the viewer. This sense of urgency does not go away but gets more severe as the sequence progresses. As Roger attempts to get Eves attention by throwing coins, he also inadvertently arouses Leonard to the window. At this point the shots become shorter, switching between Leonard, as he shoots Vandamm with the blank cartridges that Eve used, and Roger, as he is watching this unfold in despair. A close-up of Vandamm is shown, as he says he will dispose of Eve from the airplane. As he says this, the camera is then panned to give an overhead view. This shot gives the viewer a sense of vertigo, which renders the viewer emotion of fearing heights or falling. Followed by a long shot of Roger climbing up to the Eve’s room, the audience is suffering, hoping that he can get to Eve before she gets on the airplane. Roger does not make it before Eve leaves the room and shuts off the lights. The audience fears that it may very well be “lights out” for her unless Roger can stop her from boarding the
It dawns on Roger to use his matchbook, with his trademark, to throw her the message that he is in her room. More usage of close-ups and overhead shots, allow the audience to get the overall picture without missing important details, such as what he wrote in the matchbook and where it landed. Eve goes to her room one last time, where Roger informs her that she is in danger. In this shot the camera angle and positioning of the characters against the wall is the same as the kissing scene when they were on the train. This is an effective reminder to the audience of their intimate connection, but also of their danger of being discovered. As Eve is walking with Vandamm to the airplane, the shot is switching rapidly from her face to Vandamms to the house, as she is anxiously looking back to the house, hoping that Roger develops something to help her escape. These emotions are transferred to the viewer, and magnified since the viewer knows that the maid saw Roger and is holding him at gunpoint. Upon hearing gunshots, the audience does not know who shot who, but it is revealed in the getaway car. Roger swooped in to rescue Eve, where dialogue is used to explain that Roger realized the maid had unknowingly used the fake gun to try and hold him