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Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman.
Synopsis: In order to help bring Nazis to justice, U.S. government agent T.R. Devlin recruits Alicia Huberman, the American daughter of a convicted German war criminal, as a spy. As they begin to fall for one another, Alicia is instructed to win the affections of Alexander Sebastian, a Nazi hiding out in Brazil. When Sebastian becomes serious about his relationship with Alicia, the stakes get higher, and Devlin must watch her slip further undercover.
Coming just at the end of WWII, if made a few months later, this story could've well been about the USSR and the Cold War. The plot of what the Nazis intend to do (with the wine bottles full of uranium serving as a macguffin) are hardly relevant. This is a story of love.
The acting is fantastic. The characters show how they feel through their facial expressions rather than just their words. For example, you can feel a real chemistry with Alicia and Devlin, that just isn't there with Sebastian. And Cary Grant is able to express a subtle amount of emotion in a stoic character, that can give you insight on what the Devlin is thinking in his mind.
The plot involves complex tradeoffs.Devlin and Alicia are in a catch 22 of the mission vs. their romance. Sebastian is in a catch 22 of Alicia revealing his secrets vs. killing Alicia and having to explain to his cohorts why.
However, characters make irrational decisions out of ego. Sebastian trusts Alicia far longer than he should out of hope. And he pressures her into marriage solely out of jealousy of Devlin, a chess move which ultimately works against him in the end.
The directing is excellent too. Granted, this movie is slower paced and maybe less of a dopamine rush than more modern films we're accustomed to. But it's a benchmark for Hitchcock's career and influential for the film industry as a whole.
Notorious shows double standards against women but is self-aware in doing so. Alicia must risk her life and marry a man she doesn't want to, for the greater good of the country. Devlin instructs her to be romantically involved with another man, yet decries her as being promiscuous when she does. Devlin wants affection from her, yet rarely give her affection.
Devlin comes across as stoic, non-affectionate and possessive, traits that were associated with masculinity decades ago. Men were expected to not wear their heart on their sleeve. But toward the end, he evolves as a character and realizes his own behavior was only a product of his own insecurities.
Devlin spends most of the movie being unlikeable, reckless, incompetent (putting himself and Alicia in danger) by frequently being seen with her while she's technically marrying another man. He'sThe botched operation of spying on the wine cellar. But in the end, Devlin is supposed to be the good guy, and he's the only person in this narrative who genuinely cares about her, so he is her savior.
A chilling moment was when Alicia was sick, but lied to Devlin, telling him it was just a hangover. She could've been rescued by him easily, but she wanted him to show the initiative that he cared enough to rescue her. But she intentionally puts herself in a situation where she is dying, just to see if he will come save her. Maybe Hitchcock made Sebastian's mother a powerful antagonist to balance this out.
In some ways it was a product of its time. Sex and promiscuity were alluded to but greatly toned down. Actors were not allowed to kiss for more than 3 seconds. But these restrictions may have creatively enabled the films express romance in other ways.
The ending of the movie is iconic, brilliant and somewhat comedic. It's abrupt. I assume many would believe Alicia lives and Sebastian probably dies. And in any event, it was much easier for Devlin to enter the antagonist home than it should've been.
But those logistical details are minutia. They're in love.
Rating: 8/10
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman.
Synopsis: In order to help bring Nazis to justice, U.S. government agent T.R. Devlin recruits Alicia Huberman, the American daughter of a convicted German war criminal, as a spy. As they begin to fall for one another, Alicia is instructed to win the affections of Alexander Sebastian, a Nazi hiding out in Brazil. When Sebastian becomes serious about his relationship with Alicia, the stakes get higher, and Devlin must watch her slip further undercover.
Coming just at the end of WWII, if made a few months later, this story could've well been about the USSR and the Cold War. The plot of what the Nazis intend to do (with the wine bottles full of uranium serving as a macguffin) are hardly relevant. This is a story of love.
The acting is fantastic. The characters show how they feel through their facial expressions rather than just their words. For example, you can feel a real chemistry with Alicia and Devlin, that just isn't there with Sebastian. And Cary Grant is able to express a subtle amount of emotion in a stoic character, that can give you insight on what the Devlin is thinking in his mind.
The plot involves complex tradeoffs.Devlin and Alicia are in a catch 22 of the mission vs. their romance. Sebastian is in a catch 22 of Alicia revealing his secrets vs. killing Alicia and having to explain to his cohorts why.
However, characters make irrational decisions out of ego. Sebastian trusts Alicia far longer than he should out of hope. And he pressures her into marriage solely out of jealousy of Devlin, a chess move which ultimately works against him in the end.
The directing is excellent too. Granted, this movie is slower paced and maybe less of a dopamine rush than more modern films we're accustomed to. But it's a benchmark for Hitchcock's career and influential for the film industry as a whole.
Notorious shows double standards against women but is self-aware in doing so. Alicia must risk her life and marry a man she doesn't want to, for the greater good of the country. Devlin instructs her to be romantically involved with another man, yet decries her as being promiscuous when she does. Devlin wants affection from her, yet rarely give her affection.
Devlin comes across as stoic, non-affectionate and possessive, traits that were associated with masculinity decades ago. Men were expected to not wear their heart on their sleeve. But toward the end, he evolves as a character and realizes his own behavior was only a product of his own insecurities.
Devlin spends most of the movie being unlikeable, reckless, incompetent (putting himself and Alicia in danger) by frequently being seen with her while she's technically marrying another man. He'sThe botched operation of spying on the wine cellar. But in the end, Devlin is supposed to be the good guy, and he's the only person in this narrative who genuinely cares about her, so he is her savior.
A chilling moment was when Alicia was sick, but lied to Devlin, telling him it was just a hangover. She could've been rescued by him easily, but she wanted him to show the initiative that he cared enough to rescue her. But she intentionally puts herself in a situation where she is dying, just to see if he will come save her. Maybe Hitchcock made Sebastian's mother a powerful antagonist to balance this out.
In some ways it was a product of its time. Sex and promiscuity were alluded to but greatly toned down. Actors were not allowed to kiss for more than 3 seconds. But these restrictions may have creatively enabled the films express romance in other ways.
The ending of the movie is iconic, brilliant and somewhat comedic. It's abrupt. I assume many would believe Alicia lives and Sebastian probably dies. And in any event, it was much easier for Devlin to enter the antagonist home than it should've been.
But those logistical details are minutia. They're in love.
Rating: 8/10
Last edited by Stamina888; 08-09-22 at 01:34 PM.
