7.9/10. Whenever I watch classic films, I cannot help but think about “The Citizen Kane Effect” – the idea that venerated works of art can seem ho-hum to a modern-day viewer because their innovations that wowed contemporary audiences have become commonplace. And I also think about my friend and film critic Andy Roth’s response that the term was inapt, because even apart from its many innovations, *Citizen Kane* was a sound, well-crafted bit of storytelling.

That’s where I am with *North by Northwest* one of the most lauded films in cinema history that inhabits the rarified are of the silver screen’s Great Works. And yet, in an era of film where a series of dramatic twists and regular joes getting mixed up in the extraordinary in a movie have become commonplace, if not tired tropes, *North by Northwest* certainly still seems good to a modern viewer, or at least this modern viewer, but for a film with such a pedigree, it can no longer wow. That’s no sin for anything but the best-regarded films.

And yet, to Mr. Roth’s point, even stripped of that pedigree, and the expectations that come with, *North by Northwest* is a thoroughly well-made film, with good pacing, thrilling set pieces, heightened intrigue, and twists and turns to recontextualize events and reenergize the proceedings as necessary. The film is flawless, not in the sense that it is perfect or exceptional, but in the sense that there’s little, if anything, to point to that *North by Northwest* does poorly. It just doesn’t inspire much passion in an era littered with imitators of the film’s imitators.

But what does stand out, even half a century later when green screens and CGI have allowed directors of photography to depict anything you can imagine, is the visual virtuosity that Hitchcock puts on display. The cornfield scene in *North by Northwest* is iconic for a reason, but beyond the action and the drama is the imagery that conveys it. The way Hitchcock and cinematographer Robert Burks play with perspective, using grand sweeping shots of the plane in the distance looming larger and more ominous with each pass, the way the frame is blanketed in white at the same time the protagonist is, and the dramatic cuts as Thornhill flags down a doomed tanker serves to create an exhilarating scene that communicates the stakes and the danger of the moment without the tools of modern day filmmaking.

That also speaks to the fim’s (and one of Hitchcock’s) greatest strengths -- the ability to create mood. The viewer feels Thornhill’s paranoia as he’s thrust into a case of mistaken identity, feeling bewildered and overwhelmed at the threats, espionage, and intrigue unfurling around him at an ever-increasing pace. The final setpiece, with the cat and mouse game set at Mount Rushmore, uses that setting and the score, not to mention the way the action is framed, to create an ongoing tension and drama throughout. And The scenes between Thornhill and Eve Kendall evoke a charged passion, coupled with playfulness, that emerges between two people on the run, each not really knowing whether they can trust the other.

The love story between them is odd by modern standards, but works for the film’s purposes. Considering the compressed timeline of the film, their romance happens very quickly, and their back-and-forth banter is left to do the heavy lifting when mood doesn’t suffice. That banter vacillates between charm and cheese. Still, it fits the story and the surroundings, and it’s a reminder how the Tarantinos, Sorkins, and Whedons of the modern day were, at least to some degree, following the classic blueprint for stylized dialogue with their trademark forms of patter.

Beyond the dialogue, *North by Northwest* is an extremely well-written film in terms of its story, pacing, and plot. Each of the reveals have their seeds planted early, to where when the twists come, it’s an “aha” moment rather than a “huh?” moment. That’s what distinguishes the film from the many movies today, particularly blockbusters, that traffic in the same sort of secret identity and mystery box storytelling. While several films include a twist for twists sake, meant to allow the picture to coast on the shock of the reveal alone, *North by Northwest* takes the time to set up the important details and hints at the truth, so that when everything falls into place, it feels like a natural extension of what’s come before rather than a radical shift out of nowhere.

The only problem, relative to other movies in Hitchcock’s filmography, is that *North by Northwest* isn’t really *about* anything. It’s simply a well-plotted thrillride, which is the sort of faint praise one might wish to be damned with. There are hints here and there at a larger point. If there is a theme to the film, it’s that ordinary men can accomplish extraordinary things, particularly when they are motivated by love (or, if you’re a cynic, lust).

When we meet Roger Thornhill, is a smooth-talking gentleman, twice divorced, who seems no sooner to become embroiled in the world of spooks and spies than he does to become an astronaut. But when accidentally embroiled in this near-fatal misunderstanding, he answers the call, and in the process, finds talents, and a partner who appreciates them, that seemed to elude him before.

For the most part though, that’s window dressing on an exciting adventure that slowly unspools with enough dramatic twists to keep things humming. That’s no crime. If the most a movie can boast is that it entertains the audience, has a tightly-written screenplay, and enough character moments to make its grand set pieces have impact beyond the spectacle of them, it’s doing quite alright. *North by Northwest* only suffers for being a part of the canon, that ineffable signifier of greatness that tells latter-day audiences what they’re watching is supposed to be a knock-your-socks-off masterpiece, leaving many of them, myself included, mildly disappointed at a film that is simply great rather than transcendent. Somehow, I don’t think Hitchcock would cry many tears over that assessment.