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Notorious [1946] (Alfred Hitchcock)


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

One of Alfred Hitchcock's classics, this romantic thriller features a cast to die for: Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant and Claude Rains. Bergman plays the daughter of a disgraced father who is recruited by American agents to infiltrate a post-World War II spy ring in Brazil. Her control agent is Grant, who treats her with disdain while developing a deep romantic bond with her. Her assignment: to marry the suspected head of the ring (Rains) and get the goods on everyone involved. Danger, deceit, betrayal--and, yes, romance--all come together in a nearly perfect blend as the film builds to a terrific (and surprising) climax. Grant and Bergman rarely have been better. --Marshall Fine

Editorial
Product Description

Cary Ingrid, Grant Bergman Written and directed by master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock, and with a cast including the suave CARY GRANT and an enigmatic INGRID BERGMAN, Notorious was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1947 and continually ranks as one of the best suspense films ever. Alicia Huberman (INGRID BERGMAN) gains notoriety when her father, a Nazi spy, is convicted of treason against the US following World War II. A handsome stranger named Devlin (CARY GRANT) reveals after a clash of wits and temperament that he is a U.S. Intelligence Agent and Alicia is persuaded into helping Devlin trap and catch Nazi mastermind Alex Sebastian. The more she gets involved in her work, the more at risk she becomes... Special Features Chapter/Scene Selection Photo Gallery Star Biographies
Editorial
Synopsis

NOTORIOUS is Alfred Hitchcock's classic romantic espionage thriller, with passionate, brilliant performances by Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, featuring one of the most famous screen kisses in film history. At the end of World War II, American military intelligence drafts the alluring daughter (Bergman) of a convicted Nazi to infiltrate a band of nefarious Germans who have fled to Brazil. She is teamed with a dashing but chilly agent (Cary Grant) with whom she falls deeply in love. Because of her past, however, the rigid and judgmental agent refuses to trust her--and their relationship falls completely apart when she agrees to marry the ringleader of the Germans (Claude Rains) in order to have better access to information. The marriage touches off an intricate downward spiral of deceit and betrayal, leaving Bergman trapped in the home of an enemy. If her husband ever discovers the truth about her mission, her life will be in mortal danger. Punchy dialogue animates this action-driven thriller that maintains its suspenseful drama to the very end.
Editorial
From the Back Cover

One of the best Hitchcock suspense films ever, Notorious was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1947 and continually ranks among Variety's all time box office champions. Written and directed by the masters of suspense and with a cast including the suave Cary Grant and an enigmatic Ingrid Bergman, the film is an absolute joy to watch.

Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) gains notoriety when her father, a Nazi spy, is convicted of treason against the US following World War II. At a party thrown soon after, Alicia meets a handsome stranger named Devlin (Cary Grant) who reveals after a clash of wits and temperament that he is a U.S Intelligence Agent.

Because she has fallen in love with the dashing FBI agent, Alicia is persuaded into helping Devlin trap and catch Nazi mastermind Alex Sebastian. The more she gets involved in her work, the more at risk she becomes...


3 stars for the film, +1 star for the cast
Review date: 2008-06-18 Rating: 8 out of 10

One of the most complex films in Hitchcock's ouevre. Its complexity doesn't come from the depth and multi-layered nature of the plot; but rather it stems from the way how it deals with sophistication of human psyche, substantial moral complexity and poison of romance.

As a tale of frustrated love triangle combined with espionage, intrigue and self-sacrifice, the story has some odd parts and plot holes but I don't want to dwell on them in detail. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman make an interesting pairing, but their relationship is helluva complicated (but ill-defined at all). As always Grant is exciting to watch; he's a nonchalant, arrogant and uneven yet charismatic, poker-faced and James Bond-type charmer here. Bergman is ethereally beautiful and romantic albeit fragile and helpless decoy to be a perfect candidate to infiltrate and spy on clandestine Nazi group, in pursuit of some ulterior motives.

My recommendation: Don't focus on the flaws in the plot. Just sit and enjoy the trademark Hitchcockian touches: wonderful characterization, good acting, extraordinary camerawork and suspenseful set pieces. Especially, second half is more suspenseful with some good noirish elements. (3.7/5.0)

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Reviews


An average Hitchcock for me
Review date: 2008-05-30 Rating: 6 out of 10

Unfortunately for me after seeing this movie I have come to a conclusion about Hitchcock. He generally produced average films and seldom very good films. I think about "The Rear Window", "The Lady Vanishes" and think that I made a harsh decision. Then I think about "The Rope", "Strangers on a Train", "Torn Curtain" and conclude that I was generous with my decision.

About the five stars given to this film; either the film is too old for my taste or the other reviews are based on subjective judgements. OK there is a thrilling climax in the end after the discovery in the wine cellar but that is all. If you consider acting the best actor in the film was Alex's mother Leopoldine Konstantin. Bergman, Grant and Rains could be great performers but not in this film...

One or two words about the plot. The former Nazis or Nazis after World War 2 were largely recruited by the US government so the plot is far from real. (Could be politically intentional for US in 1946 tough!) The brutal regimes of the US sponsored Latin American countries shielded the most notorious Nazi ring leaders for years but the not-so-evil Nazis were used by NATO organisatons world wide. One example would suffice: Hanns Scharff who was a Nazi interregator was recruited and even promoted in US Air Force!

A Hitchcock Masterpiece
Review date: 2008-03-10 Rating: 10 out of 10

[Please note that my review is of the Criterion Region 1 version of this DVD, Amazon also posts it against the Region 2 version....]

This film is classic Hitchcock, not in the same way as his 'horror' films such as 'Psycho' or 'The Birds' but in the same style as 'To Catch a Thief', 'Vertigo' or 'Dial 'M' for Murder'.

The cinematography is stunning and subtle framing/panning techniques help to support the scene and overall thrust of the storyline.

The cast is stellar, Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman are fantastic and ooze emotion with Claude Rains (you will have seen him in 'Casablanca') portraying the sinister husband superbly.

A beautiful woman (Bergman), who has a tainted past, is enlisted by a officially-backed official (Grant) to spy on a ring of alleged Nazis in post-war Brazil. The proficient build-up of tension is the notable feature of the screenplay and Hitchcock excels at transferring it onto celluloid,

The restored picture and sound on the Criterion disc are very good, but not as pristine or sharp as the Warner restoration of 'The Maltese Falcon' for example (which is an even older film !).

The Criterion version also has many excellent extras, including 2 insightful commentaries and copious production snippets including a radio version (Bergman features, but not Grant) and those fantastic 1940s film trailers with big headlines and exclamations !

My trall through the IMDB 100, at number 100..
Review date: 2006-12-20 Rating: 8 out of 10

What better a way to start than with an Alfred Hitchcock movie, and what a cast, Claude Rains, the charismatic Cary Grant and sensual Ingrid Bergman.

This really is a slow burner for Hitchcock, no major shower scenes in this film, it starts off at quite a snails pace but is well worth sticking with as the tension heightens, a fine, fine film to start with..

Almost the perfect film...
Review date: 2006-03-15 Rating: 10 out of 10

...this Hitchcock film has it all - Cary Grant as an amoral CIA agent, Ingrid Bergman as a (supposed) alcoholic floozy, Nazis plotting to come back to power - and they are all in Rio. It should be a rather florid mix, but Hitchcock brings it all into a tense and exciting film. Grant has rarely been better, using all his charisma to persuade a woman who is in love with him to sleep with a supposed Nazi to get information. Technically, the film is brilliant, with poisoned coffee cups looming hugely at the front of shots, and the shadows of the supposed poisoners wavering and merging into one. Personally, I think Cary Grant is one of the sexiest actors ever to be filmed and this film captures him at his best. A film you should definitely have in your collection.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Cary Grant; Ivan Triesault; Ingrid Bergman; Claude Rains; Louis Calhern; Alexis Minotis; Moroni Olsen; Wally Brown; Reinhold Schunzel

Creators:
Cary Grant; Ivan Triesault; Ingrid Bergman; Claude Rains; Louis Calhern; Alexis Minotis; Moroni Olsen; Wally Brown; Reinhold Schunzel (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Prism Leisure
Manufacturer: Prism Leisure
EAN: 5030697003119
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: Black & White, PAL,
Release date: 2000-10-30
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
Audience rating: Universal, suitable for all
Region code: 2
Running time: 98 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1946-09-06
Language: English (Unknown)
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: French (Original Language)

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