North by Northwest: 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray

Studio: Warner Bros.

Nov 02, 2009 Web Exclusive By Nick Hyman

Alfred Hitchcock's sensationally entertaining North by Northwest is 50 years old, and to celebrate, Warner Brothers has dumped over a million dollars into a flawless restoration that makes the film look as though it were released just last week. The story of Roger Thornhill (the incomparable Cary Grant) and his cross-country mistaken identity chase through cornfields, trains, Mount Rushmore, The United Nations, and more while exchanging sexual innuendos with Eva Marie Saint and dodging threats from the dastardly duo of James Mason and Martin Landau is a witty and exciting thrill ride. Hitchcock, working with his biggest canvas, more than succeeds in one of his more accessible and engrossing films of his unparalleled career. The Blu-ray image is the best part of this essential package, with the original VistaVision elements getting an 8K-resolution bath that will likely put your jaw on the floor. The audio is impressive, too, with Bernard Herrmann's bombastic score (which can be heard isolated) and Ernest Lehman's punchy dialogue resonating clearly.

You can't turn 50 and not get any presents, and luckily we've got new documentaries featuring directors Curtis Hanson (L.A. Confidential), Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth), William Friedkin (The Exorcist), and others talking about what makes Hitch such a master at his craft. A previously released commentary with screenwriter Lehman, a making-of hosted by Eva Marie Saint, and the feature-length Cary Grant: A Class Apart make up the rest of this irresistible set.

(www.warnerblu.com, www.warnervideo.com)

Author rating: 9/10

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