A Cold Feeling: A Response to Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest
By
Matthew Landstrom
Professor Bradley
Southern Methodist University
English 1302.054
6 March 2007
The cold war was an extremely confusing and nerve-racking part of America’s history. People were scared about who was going to make the first attack, Russia or America. Who had the bigger bomb? Who had more power? Who was right? DUCK AND COVER! Why was this war even happening? Which is better; democracy or communism? Who is going to win? These were all major ideas floating around in the mid to late 1900’s regarding the Cold War. Alfred Hitchcock’s film, North by Northwest, made during the Cold War, is a stunningly visual masterpiece with many different themes and aesthetic qualities about it. The film defended America and its stand on democracy. It not only defends America, but hints at how the Cold War is going to end, especially at the end of the film. Many of the film’s themes alluded to a fight against the unknown and different, while it supported the American lifestyle. The film North by Northwest, defends the United States’ democracy during the Cold War by use of the antagonist as he relates to the government and the settings used.
The Antagonist in this movie is Phillip Vandaam, played by James Mason. He is portrayed strongly as the alien, who is trying to infiltrate and destroy the United States. Vandaam has a rater foreign voice and deals very violently and slyly with his matters. His involvements with the CIA, and his attempt to destroy the people that are attempting to undermine his operation, also allude to the fight between America and the USSR. Many government secrets were stolen during the cold war, especially regarding nuclear weaponry. In the film, microfilm was being transported out of the country illegally, as to represent the Russian’s smuggling information. Intelligence was a large part of what the cold war was about. The fight to be more intelligent, as it pertained to destructive power was extremely important. The film really tries to focus in on, however, how Vandaam is trying to get rid of the CIA’s intelligence. This intelligence revolves around Kaplan (Thornhill), who really doesn’t even exist. The fact that new elements brought into the film, regarding government ties really brought the Cold War theme forward. As the film moves on, we gain awareness of government ties, such as the inexistent Kaplan, being involved with the CIA, and eventually Eve to be involved with the CIA. Another image is how The United Nations politician, Townsend, is stabbed in the back. Stabbing in the back is a very strong image as it pertains here to the USSR stabbing America in the back. All of these images regarding Vandaam and regarding our government offices, allude to America’s and the U.S.S.R.’s Cold War.
The settings seen in this film also are used as images intended to fight for America. The major climax of this film obviously takes place at Mount Rushmore. There is no better place for the antagonists of this film to be defeated than on the faces of our most revered presidents. During this scene, the viewers see a huge chase go on across Mount Rushmore. The viewers don’t even the actual antagonists fall off the faces, but instead we assume they do as Thornhill pulls Eve up and saves her. Another setting used so well was the scene on the prairie on the long straight road. This scene is very symbolic of the Cold War. The monotony used here is a strong correlation to the events going on at that time. The constant waiting, and something never coming, is symbolic of how nothing ever comes, neither good nor bad. The suspense built up in this scene also helps exemplify the suspense and fear that was so built up forty to fifty years ago. There is also another way to look at this scene. The ideas behind using massive amounts of nuclear weaponry scared the whole world. It was a horrible thought, knowing what the world would be like after all civilization in those countries would be wiped out on account of the many bombs used. This scene could be viewed as a warning to both countries if the final plans of destroying each other’s countries actually took place. The UN building is another very meaningful setting in this story. The United Nations is also no small building that has to do with the world and its wars. It is very symbolic that a man as stabbed in the back at the United Nations building, seeing as how America and the U.S.S.R. are supposed to be united.
This film overall ties very deeply with the Cold War. With different thematic elements, such as the settings used like Mount Rushmore, and the characters used, like Vandaam, this film ties very deeply with the problems going on at that time. This movie can also be viewed as a warning to both countries. War is no ultimately great thing in this world, and it is nice that nothing bad had already happened at the time this movie was made. This film though, is definitely a defense for democracy and for America. It shows the protagonists winning obviously in the end, and the foreigners not being able to accomplish their final goals in the end. No government secrets were taken and everyone was safe in the end. This film wonderfully portrays the events going on at that time and will be a reminder for the United States in the future.
Works Cited
North by Northwest. Dir. Alfred Hitchcock. Perf. Cary Grant. DVD. 1959.