Notorious (1946)
Drama | Film-Noir | Romance | Thriller
Tagline: Notorious woman of affairs... Adventurous man of the world!
One of the greatest Hitchcock suspense films of all time, Notorious was nominated for two Academy Awards in 1947 including Best Original Screenplay. It was also ranked among Variety’s all-time box office champions and won a four-star rating from The Daily
News. The New York Times honored Hitchcock and writer Ben Hecht by declaring “chalk up another smash hit for a fine experienced team.”
Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) gains notoriety when her father, a Nazi spy, is convicted of Treason against the United States following World War II. Soon after, she throws a party which is crashed by a handsome stranger named Devlin (Cary Grant). After
a clash of wit and temperament, Devlin reveals to Alicia that he is a U.S. intelligence agent and asks her to help him trap Nazi master mind Alexander Sebastian. But as she becomes more and more involved with her work, Alicia may be putting her life in
danger.
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.
User Comment: Cory Eime (bigeime@hotmail.com) • Notorious is one of Hitch's most underrated films. Ingrid Bergman's performance as Alicia is outstanding. She plays the daughter of a Nazi war criminal who agrees to infiltrate the
Nazi regime in Rio de Janeiro. She quickly falls in love, however, with her CIA contact, Devlin, played brilliantly be Carey Grant. Hitch baffles the audience as usual, as the spy story becomes one of love and passion. She is so successful at her spying
that she is asked to marry Sebastian, played by Claude Rains. The suspense builds as Sebastian discovers that Alicia is in with the CIA and tries to poison her. Devlin in the mean time is going to Spain because he can't stand seeing Alicia married to
Sebastian. As in all Hitchcock movies, many themes and ideas are present, such as the role Sebastian's mother plays in influencing his plans. This is a must see Hitchcock classic.
Summary: Need I say more than Hitchcock...
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