The Image System In Hitchcock’s “North by Northwest”

During the film “North by Northwest”, several themes seem to appear. Some are common throughout and some are only seen once. When we first meet Roger Thornhill, he is shown as a fast talking smooth operating character who instantly appeals to the audience. By far the most common form of visual symbolism in North by Northwest is the use of parallel lines. These are used to create an idea of truth and deception. A good example of this is in the final scene when Roger Thornhill and Eve Kendal are running from Vandamme’s thugs. The tall straight truthful trees help to hide the ‘goodies’ from the ‘baddies’.

As we cannot see the tops of the trees, a very claustrophobic and enclosed environment is produced. However, parallel lines are used in a different way in the opening scene. A high angle shot is used which faces vertically down the sides of tall skyscrapers. These tall buildings have many parallel lines travelling from top to bottom. This suggests that within these buildings are large deceitful and corrupt corporations from which there is no escape, such as the CIA or FBI, and that these corporations are looking watchfully at someone below.

In the film, it is not only parallel lines that are symbolic but perpendicular lines as well as other forms. In the opening scene when a vertically angled shot facing down is used, we see a large mass of people hurrying about. People’s paths are crossing and from the angle we are seeing this creates the image of a snipers crosshair. This again creates the feeling that people are being targeted. The theme of a crosshair is also used later on when Roger Thornhill is driving whilst drunk.

The Mercedes logo on the bonnet of the car could be interpreted as a crosshair but it also could be interpreted as a compass, with one of the lines pointing Northwest, a reference to the title. By far the best example of the use of lines to create a crosshair is when Roger Thornhill is waiting to meet the elusive George Caplan. Thornhill is standing on a long straight road, when he spots a plane hurtling towards him. The plane is travelling at ninety degrees to the road and leaving a trail behind it. After it has passed the road a clear crosshair is visible.

This is there to signify the very dangerous situation which faces Roger Thornhill. Hitchcock also used costume to create a certain effect, for instance the two heavies who come to take Roger Thornhill away in the opening scene are dressed in typically bad fitting clothes. These archetypal bad guys look as though they have some connection with the Russian KGB. This ties in with America’s involvement in the cold war at the time of the release of this film. This is possibly a form of propaganda. Eve Kendal’s name is a reference to Adam and Eve, where Eve deceitfully tricked Adam.

This suggests the way in which she will act through the course of the film. Eve is also made out to be very superficial, frequently changing clothes, including one very suggestive dress, which is used to win Roger Thornhill’s attention. This misogynistic approach to women appears throughout the film. Eve is shown as fickle and superficial and Thornhill’s mother is shown as an overbearing, bossy and irritating women. Hitchcock plays several jokes in relation to the film’s title. In the scene where Roger Thornhill is drunk and in the car, he is frequently shown in the top left, or Northwest corner of the screen.

Also when he is at the airport, there are many signs with Northwest written on them. Another typical ‘Hitchcock technique’ is when he appears in the opening scene, as a man running for the bus. Camera angles have been used by Hitchcock to create certain atmospheres. A point of view shot is used to exaggerate a movement, such as when Vandamme punches Thornhill. The camera changes its view to Thornhill’s eyes to show the fist coming towards him. An extreme close up is used in the final scene when one of Vandamme’s bodyguards steps on Thornhills hand. Once the focus is on the foot, a shot is heard and the foot falls out of focus.

This is done so that the unpleasant act of murder would not have to be shown, and thus turns something unpleasant, such as murder into something innocent such as a foot falling over. In the scene when the plane attacks Roger Thornhill, a long shot is used this shows the whole of the road, the plane and the surrounding fields, this serves to exaggerate the crosshair effect. When Roger Thornhill is spying on Vandamme from outside the window, he is shown looking up at Vandamme. This type of low angled shot is used to make Vandamme seem powerful and to show Thornhill cowering below him.

After Thornhill has entered Vandamme’s house, we see him watching Eve and Vandamme from above. A high angled shot looking down is used to show the temporary change in authority between Vandamme and Thornhill. At the beginning of the final scene we see Vandamme’s house. It is of a modern design and comes to a point facing in the direction of the cliff. This suggests the direction in which the film could be going. Once Roger Thornhill and Eve have left the house, they drive away in a car. Upon reaching a locked gate, they get out and run in front of the car. As it is dark this is symbolic of frightened animals caught in the headlights.

After they have run through the forest and onto Mount Rushmore, they become engaged in a fight with the KGB bodyguards. Roger and Eve win the fight and this could be interpreted as America beating Russia in the cold war. The fact that this scene was shot on one of the biggest symbols of American values is another example of the use of propaganda in this film. The film’s ending, Eve and Roger dressed in white climbing into a white plane to fly away on their honeymoon, followed by the suggestive and now commonly used image of a train going into a tunnel, is a typical ‘happily ever after’ ending.

The hero and heroine get what they wanted and everyone is happy. The reason everything is white is because it creates an image of a pure and clean future for Eve and Roger. Many of the visual effects used in this film had never been used before. Hitchcock was a pioneer in the field of filmmaking and the techniques he invented changed the way films were made. It is obvious that the James Bond series of films were heavily influenced by this film, as have other films of that genre. I believe that this was a very influential film and without it many of today’s movies would be very different.

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