01. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
Possibly the most remarkable film to feature a narrative based on mistaken identity and wrongful accusations,
North By Northwest is one of
Alfred Hitchcocks most fondly remembered classics. Starring the ever-suave
Cary Grant as Roger Thornhill, an advertising executive who gets confused for a government agent - what follows is a series of misadventures (including a murder accusation!) that force Thornhill to fight to survive several attempts on his life by baddie Phillip Vandamm (the brilliantly sadistic
James Mason). However, much like Hitchs earlier thriller
The 39 Steps, it is the relationship that develops between Thornhill and real agent Eve Kendall (
Eva Marie Saint) that proves to be the real narrative draw. Playing the American every-man who is thrust into adventure rather than choosing it, Grant's Thornhill is far more comfortable seducing Eve than he is scaling the heads of Presidents past on Mount Rushmore. North By Northwest is so successful because of this depiction of an ordinary mans plight and how he overcomes it. Also featuring one of the most iconic scenes in the history of cinema, North By Northwest is the perfect example of how wrongful accusations can provide an extremely exciting, engaging and memorable narrative within fictional feature film. Honed by one of cinemas greatest directors, the wrong man sub-genre of thriller films is sure to provide audiences with entertainment for years to come.