North by northwest

 

 

 

 

Opening credits

 

 

We first see the company logo: Metro Goldwyn Mayer

 

 

 

 

The green background behind it is a recurring motif which is later joined by many lines coming appearing from the bottom and top. A perspective is happening changing into a grid. This can also be seen as chlostrophobic. Many names are introduced going up and a white line in the opposite direction like traffic.

  

 

 

The lines seem to imitate the outlines of windows like an office building in America which at first is an enigma for the audience.

 

The title of the film flies in with the copyrights being stated at the bottom of the screen. 

 

 

Then more names appear after the title flies away and it becomes clear that a building is being created by these lines where there is the reflection of the traffic in a busy city. We can guess that this is New York because of all the yellow cabs. 

 

 

The sound of this film is very fast paced, high pitched which is being played in the background by both strings; which are making the scurrying sort of sound and the overpowering brass instruments which makes it all jumpy. The brass and drums drive the rhythm around which the music director hopes to make the sound faster than the audience's heartbeat.



 

We then ge a high up shot just above the pedestrians heads to show they are just average people who are insignificant to the film. They are all constantly moving everywhere in and out of buildings up and down the streets.

  



 

 

We then see people endlessly go into the subway like a vortex is pulling them all in which suggests these people are going home from work as none of them are really in a hurry but they are never ending everywhere on every street.

 

 

 

 

We see the director being starred in his own film as we see him miss the bus. The music increases the effect of the swirling swarm of humanity.