A literally monumental cinematic landmark from Alfred Hitchcock (the most accessible, the most kinetic, and rapidly overtaking his other efforts as the most studied). How everything came together to make this romance/thriller feel simultaneously lightweight and terse is a mystery within itself. Fabulous trademark casting helped, with the balanced Cary Grant, the icy-calm calculating of Eva-Marie Saint, and the dapper menace of James Mason. Another element I've always suspected was the time it was filmed (late 1950s; you could see definite changes throughout society becoming manifest; more-relaxed forms of architecture, automotive streamlining, casual attitudes towards fashion, etc.); Hitchcock's lens captured much of it. Well-paced most of the way, but (for me) it fell askance at Rushmore (a poorly-lit, uneven sequence that couldn't keep the audience informed as to character positioning). Even with the minuscule flaws, I'll put this up against ANY actioner that Gollywood can shove on a screen today. If this isn't in your collection in some form, you're a celluloid Philistine who's run out of excuses.