[North by Northwest] is arguably as good an indication as can be found of Alfred Hitchcock's ability to match his sense of humour to his lively suspense tactics. Strictly speaking, according to those who claim to know such things, the title is a compass point that doesn't exist. It is our cue to disregard any measure of 'reality' in the film. 'Realism' is there, of course; but not, overtly at any rate, 'reality'. Further nudges towards levity are given by the leading character, Roger O Thornhill …, who emphasises that his initials spell 'rot', and that his central 'O' stands for nothing. There is, however, a nuance to that 'nothing': the plot is one of mistaken identity, Thornhill being considered by the villains to be a spy who is actually as non-existent as the compass point to which symbolically he eventually travels; and therefore when this false identity is thrust upon him, Thornhill is nothing indeed.

All of which goes to suggest that Hitchcock's intention was purely to divert us by letting his fancy take idiosyncratic flight. Nevertheless we must not overlook the significance of the relationship between the film's tricky title and Prince Hamlet's famous account of his own mental condition. Happily, most of us can distinguish hawks from handsaws. Likewise, although we seldom stop smiling while Hitchcock's jeu d'esprit progresses, we can acknowledge a political comment of sorts in the fact that government intelligence agencies, such as the one depicted and satirised in the film, have their real counterparts which are thought in certain cases to be ruthless in their methods.

Psychologically there is valid comment, too—comment upon the resilience of human nature under duress, as heightened in the case of Roger O Thornhill, a man whose smooth lifestyle as an advertising executive in New York City is abruptly changed, as if the ground had been whipped out from under him. One might even associate Thornhill's 'nine-lives' staying power with the religious belief that man is never given a burden which is greater than he can bear: a comforting idea of course, although it is frequently given the lie by life and the news.

North by Northwest has gained the status of a cult film, hardly on account of such political and psychological meaning but primarily because it is a fun thriller. It turns screws as cleverly as it splits faces into broad grins: while our palms sweat, we chuckle. (p. 51)

My enthusiasm for North by Northwest is just about boundless…. [All] in all it is so damned good. (p. 54)