Notorious
1946 Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Synopsis
Notorious woman of affairs... Adventurous man of the world
Released shortly after the war, this classic Hitchcock film illustrates the battle between German Nazis and American spies and the trafficking of drugs.
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Part of the Alfred Hitchcock Sound Era Films In Chronological Order project.
I seem to remember starting Notorious many years ago but not finishing it for one reason or another. In situations like this, do you still mark a film as a rewatch? More importantly, does it matter?
Reading around some reviews and analysis of Notorious, having watched it this morning, I am surprised to see a lot of writers suggesting that it marked a major thematic change for Hitchcock in his films. I don't really agree with that at all. I do, however, agree with some that say that this is his most mature work to date because I think in a couple of ways that it is.
The…
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Pitch perfect from beginning to end, as the tension ratchets up to almost unbearable levels. Bergman and Grant are both superb in fully realised characters, but the supporting cast are all strong too, especially Claude Rains.
Probably my favourite Hitchcock film.
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Had the privilege to see Guillermo del Toro introduce and do a lecture after a screening of Notorious tonight. The first act of the film is slow and deliberate, and I will admit my eye-lids were getting heavy, I was concerned about where the film was going. But as the spy game kicks in, suddenly I was fully engaged. Hitchcock comes to Notorious from Spellbound, currently my least favourite of his films, while that film was dull and psychological, Notorious mixes those elements with thrilling espionage. He is a director who later showed incredible versatility moving between low-key intimate scenes to large-scale setpieces, and I think Notorious is where he perfected that craft. But at the core of this film,…
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Hi, I'm bumbling drunkenly onto Letterboxd to ramble on about Ingrid Bergman... Oh god. No words.
NO WORDS.
Anyway, Cary Grant just kind of drifts through this barely making an effort, altjough his two-minute kiss with Bergham is... is...
Claude Rains is the villaian: he;s a fucken NAZI and yet he's the one truly in love with Bergman's honey-trap US agent - moreso than Gran't couldn't-give-a-fuck guy - and, man, you feel for him. He;s so buttoned up and suave and smooth and GENTLEMANLY, and he gets fkn CRUSHED, and it kills.
All that and Hitchcock's mummy issues. But, god, he's good. And Ingrid Bergman is just from another higher plane of reality. Even inthe scene where she's drunk-driving at high speed she's fierce, immaculate. So good. Everything.
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The romantic elements always seemed a little enforced to necessitate the plot. But it's Ingrid Bergman. She can turn a gay Grant straight.
Hitchcock's trademarks are everywhere here and the mystery combined with intriguing contemporary conflict hold up remarkably. These characters are fleshed out superbly in one of Hitch's very best screenplays. It's never slow and always moving forward. Perhaps his best best looking black and white until Psycho. The stars alined for this one.
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para varios archivos: "películas sobre el problema de beber" (un cajón llenísimo), "películas con un mejor título en español" (de calle: tuyo es mi corazón) (un cajón moderadamente choncho), "películas tristes de hitchcock" (un cajón casi vacío), "películas con esta frase: we are protected by the enormity of your stupidity" (por ahora, sólo un ejemplar).
(ah, y qué pedo con este shot, eh? no los dejó pendejos? a mí sí.)
(ah, y acá un buen ensayo sobre el suspenso en el cine de los cuarenta, y un poco antes: clic.)
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Sheer class as you would expect from Hitchcock, this features an almost impossibly suave Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman as well as a terrific turn from Claude Rains - so it's pretty much right up there as far as movie greats territory is concerned.
It's probably more straightforward than the more subtle Vertigo or Rear Window but is highly gripping nonetheless. The plot, involving Nazi businessmen escaped to Brazil is ingenious and suspense is maintained throughout a tense last hour.
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para varios archivos: "películas sobre el problema de beber" (un cajón llenísimo), "películas con un mejor título en español" (de calle: tuyo es mi corazón) (un cajón moderadamente choncho), "películas tristes de hitchcock" (un cajón casi vacío), "películas con esta frase: we are protected by the enormity of your stupidity" (por ahora, sólo un ejemplar).
(ah, y qué pedo con este shot, eh? no los dejó pendejos? a mí sí.)
(ah, y acá un buen ensayo sobre el suspenso en el cine de los cuarenta, y un poco antes: clic.)
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"Dry your eyes, baby; it's out of character." - Devlin
Notorious is a tense and gripping Hitchcock film, naturally, with the central romance between Grant and Bergman managing to stand tall above the spy games and central narrative due to their brilliant on screen connection and performances................ I'm tired and don't know what I'm saying or writing so basically, the film was good. (Expect a better review at some point)
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Nothing special as a spy thriller but who cares with the way Grant and Bergman generate heat.
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Uma maravilha.
Os clássicos têm destas vantagens: podem ter os cenários mais ridículos e todos os prejuízos do estilo da época sem deixarem de pairar bem acima dos demais. Para «realizador menor», o Hitchcock conseguia detalhes de câmara de fazer inveja às «vacas sagradas». -
Hardly shocked that this was really good, but it was really, really good.
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The Good: The lovely Ingrid Bergman. Intense, electrifying chemistry between Cary Grant and Bergman. Magnificent performances from its three charismatic leads, including the great Claude Rains. Masterful camera work. The party. Evil Nazi mother-in-law (Someone's really got some serious mommy issues...). Oh, and did I mention Ingrid Bergman?
The Bad: Like most of Hitchcock's films, I'm not a fan of his abrupt cuts and ending in this one.
The Bottom Line: A superb, romantic spy thriller oozing with sexual tension. Recommended.
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What beauty. What grace. What thrills. From the Master and the woman he should have made movies with forever...but it was not to be.
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A fine romantic thriller that's low on thrills and wastes Ingrid Bergman's phenomenal acting talent, especially in romantic roles, on the usually dull Cary Grant. Obviously the romance hinges on your adoration for these two stars and my dislike of one does not help, same as within Suspicion. However, the action is dull and often feels low stakes despite it not being at all. Feels like such a minor movie especially coming off of the epic scale and emotions of North by Northwest(in my own personal viewing). But overall, there's nothing particularly bad about it which separates it from the dismal Suspicion. Yet it's not memorable or particularly interesting in any way. But the ending is great, Bergman is fantastic as always and the visuals are often intriguing as legend tells.