Notorious (Criterion)
In Notorious, a brilliant allegory of love and betrayal, Hitchcock fuses two of his favorite elements: suspense and romance. A beautiful woman with a tainted past (Ingrid Bergman) is enlisted by American agent Devlin (Cary Grant) to spy on a ring of Nazis in post-war Rio. Her espionage work becomes life-threatening after she marries the most debonair of the Nazi ring, Alex (Claude Rains). Only Devlin can rescue her, but to do so he must face his role in her desperate situation and acknowledge that he's loved her all along. Stunning performances, Ben Hecht's excellent script, and Hitchcock's direction at its best make Notorious a perfect film.
Member Reviews
A (Very) Near MIss - Cherries
How can you go wrong with three of the greatest stars (Bergman, Grant and Raines) of classical film, directed by one of the greatest cinematic giants of all time? And yet, despite its first-rate credentials, Notorious left me not very satisfied.
First Ingrid Bergman. Her performance was classic Bergman. Yet in this film that's actually a weakness. In my opinion she was miscast in the role of Alicia. Alica is supposed to be a troubled, conflicted, rather unrestrained woman with conflicting loyalties. Bergman is simply too refined, too restrained, too well-mannered to really pull it off. The qualities that made her absolutely perfect as Ilsa in Casablanca make her less than perfect as Alicia.
Next, Cary Grant. I was surprised how flat Grant was in this film. Rather than quiet intensity, to me his performance bordered on disinterest--like he didn't really want to be in this film. I find it hard to believe an actor of his calibre put forth his best effort here.
Claude Raines, like in so many movies (eg Casablanca) offered perhaps the best overall performance as Sebastian. He steals every scene he's in, generating a real sense of tension and suspense. He masterfully projects the internal conflict he feels (but cannot voice) between duty, self-interest and fear. He is so good, that he is almost too good for this movie.
Now, this is a Hitchcock movie, and I'd recommend it to anyone. However, Dial M For Murder, North By Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, Rear Window, Strangers On A Train, To Catch a Thief and The Lady Vanishes are all better choices.
If you're looking for an alternative suspense thriller with Ingrid Bergman, I'd recommend Gaslight before Notorious. Her performance and the movie itself are both so much better.Sexy, Mysterious Cinema Magic - FilmJunkie
Probably my favorite Hitchcock film.
This is all about secrets, lies and seduction with the most amazing camera work of any Hitchcock film. That crane shot down the stairs to reveal the key in Ingrid Bergman's hand? Are you serious? Genius.
The heat between Bergman and Cary Grant? The endless kissing in the hotel scene? Marvelous.
Unparalleled.Could be Hitch's best - Thunderbuck
The case could be made that Hitchcock was the greatest director of the 20th century. Certainly, cinematically he did some remarkable things with point of view and camera angles. Some of his stories are fun (NORTH BY NORTHWEST remains an all-time favorite for sheer entertainment value), and some are more experimental (VERTIGO comes to mind, as does PSYCHO; what other movie have you seen where the presumed lead character is killed off in the first reel?).
My biggest reservation with Hitch, though, is that he tended to lack in character development. Lord knows he tried in REBECCA, but I think it wound up being kind of stuffy. NOTORIOUS is the one film where he managed to bring to life a rather good human drama.
Ingrid Bergman's Alicia is the daughter of a convicted Nazi war criminal, recruited by the US government to go to South America as a double agent to infiltrate the Nazi expatriate community. Devlin (Cary Grant) is her "handler", and the two begin a romantic relationship. It is suggested that this relationship is purely professional from Devlin's point of view, but this changes in the course of the story.
After arriving in Rio, Alicia is "assigned" to a relationship with Sebastien (Claude Raines), who completes the classic triangle. I love the performances in this movie. Grant's performance is very good, with a degree of restrained intensity. Bergman gives a pretty steamy performance herself, and believably moves from cynic to romantic. Raines is my favorite, though. He's presented as a villian, but he isn't really, more a product of the company he keeps. He's an unusually sympathetic antagonist, and when he meets his fate at the end of the film it is poignant.
NOTORIOUS is quite a restrained film, especially by Hitchcock's later standards. No violence is shown on film, but the sense of menace is very clearly conveyed. Hitch's usual cinematic wizardry is only obvious in a couple of scenes (particularly at the climax).
Member Reviews
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A (Very) Near MIss - Cherries
How can you go wrong with three of the greatest stars (Bergman, Grant and Raines) of classical film, directed by one of the greatest cinematic giants of all time? And yet, despite its first-rate credentials, Notorious left me not very satisfied.
First ...Sexy, Mysterious Cinema Magic - FilmJunkie
Probably my favorite Hitchcock film.
This is all about secrets, lies and seduction with the most amazing camera work of any Hitchcock film. That crane shot down the stairs to reveal the key in Ingrid Bergman's hand? Are you serious? Genius.
The ...Could be Hitch's best - Thunderbuck
The case could be made that Hitchcock was the greatest director of the 20th century. Certainly, cinematically he did some remarkable things with point of view and camera angles. Some of his stories are fun (NORTH BY NORTHWEST remains an all-time favorite ...