Two of the greatest films ever made, both directed by Alfred Hitchcock, will be broadcast on BBC Two this weekend. The Master of Suspense, who never won an Oscar despite his legendary career, helmed these iconic thrillers that remain benchmarks of cinema.
North by Northwest (1959)
Ernest Lehman's screenplay for North by Northwest was intended to be “the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures.” This spy thriller of mistaken identity stars Cary Grant as Roger Thornhill, an innocent man pursued across the United States by agents of a mysterious organisation. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, and Hitchcock received the Silver Shell for Best Director at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
During filming, Grant was confused by the plot and complained to Hitchcock. The director was amused by Grant's frustration, believing it added to the character's bewilderment. The movie famously concludes with the main characters hanging off Mount Rushmore.
Vertigo (1958)
Considered one of the greatest films of all time, Hitchcock's magnum opus Vertigo topped Citizen Kane as the best ever in a 2012 Sight and Sound poll. The psychological thriller stars James Stewart as a former San Francisco police detective who retires after developing vertigo due to an on-the-job incident. Hired as a private investigator, he is tasked with reporting on the strange behaviour of a man's wife, played by Kim Novak.
Vertigo was the first film to use the dolly zoom, an in-camera effect that distorts visual perception. In the film, it conveys Stewart's character's acrophobia—an extreme fear of heights. This technique was later used by Steven Spielberg for the iconic “Get out of the water” scene in Jaws.
North by Northwest airs on BBC Two at 2:15pm, followed by Vertigo at 4:25pm. Both films will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer for a limited time afterwards.
