Set in 1946, the film revolves around the daughter of a German war criminal who is asked by an American spy to travel to Rio de Janeiro to seduce a former Nazi industrialist who is conspiring to revive the Nazi party. It is a film that that explores a woman who is asked by a government agent to Brazil to uncover a Nazi conspiracy plot that featured one of her father’s former colleagues. Ben Hecht’s screenplay has a straightforward narrative, yet it is more about two people who are tasked in uncovering a plot that would threaten post-war peace as they also must contend with their feelings for one another. T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) is a government agent for the U.S. who is tasked in recruiting Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) since her German father had been sent to prison for his Nazi activities by the U.S. government. Huberman is unwilling to help Devlin as she had her own issues with her father as she feels ruined by him though Devlin’s offer to get a second chance is something she could not refuse.
Upon arriving in Rio de Janeiro, Huberman learns her assignment is to infiltrate the home of one of her father’s former colleagues in Alex Sebastian (Claude Rains) while Devlin would learn that his superiors want her to seduce Sebastian. Huberman reluctantly agrees to seduce Sebastian as she would charm and woo him where she learns about what he is doing with a bunch of former Nazi officials. The one person who is suspicious about Huberman is Sebastian’s mother Madame Anna Sebastian (Leopoldine Konstantin) as she becomes troubled by her son’s infatuation with Huberman. Hecht’s script also plays into the sense of tension where Huberman realizes she is in the middle as she and Devlin try to maintain their own secrecy and professionalism but have become infatuated with one another.
Alfred Hitchcock’s direction is entrancing for the way he creates this sense of dread and tension set in largely Rio de Janeiro as well as playing into a lot of the romantic drama that occurs throughout the film. Shot on locations in Los Angeles, California including RKO Studios with rear-projection and second unit shots of locations such as Rio de Janeiro and Miami. Hitchcock would create a film that has an offbeat presentation where its first 20 minutes is set in Miami where Hitchcock’s usage of medium and wide shots at Huberman’s house showcases a house party where she wants to wind down while he does not show Devlin’s face for minutes as he is mysterious party crasher. When the film moves to Rio, Hitchcock does create an atmosphere that feels lively yet there is something off about it when he shoots scenes at Sebastian’s home. Notably as it is a posh house full of people but also secrets with a key being a major prop in the film’s second act when Devlin makes a visit. Considering that the film was made during the period of the Hays Code where kisses could not be longer than three seconds, a scene early in Rio where Devlin and Huberman are in a room where they would kiss each other where it would last a couple of seconds and then another couple of seconds.
It is among these moments in the film where Hitchcock would push the envelope of what could be done while he also employ some unique close-ups to help play into the drama and suspense. Notably in his compositions where he would have something happening in the foreground and something else happening in the background. Hitchcock would also employ some unique visuals during the third function as it play into Sebastian’s own revelation about Huberman where there is a sense of danger that is to happen. Even as characters become compromised with some taking control as its ending is an ambiguous one as it plays into the fates of those involved as well as what Hitchcock does not show that adds more intrigue. Overall, Hitchcock crafts a riveting and evocative film about a German-American woman asked to spy on one of her father’s former colleagues while falling in love with an American spy.
Cinematographer Ted Tetzlaff does incredible work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography with its usage of lighting for some of the interior scenes in the day and night as well as the way some rooms are lit as it is a highlight of the film. Editor Theron Warth does excellent work with the editing as it employ some straight cuts to let shots linger for a bit while there is also a scene that include some fast-cuts that help play into the suspense. Art directors Albert S. D’Agostino and Carroll Clark, along with set decorators Darrell Silvera and Claude Carpenter, do brilliant work with the look of the home that Huberman lives in Miami as well as the American embassy interiors in Rio and the Sebastian estate. Gown designer Edith Head does amazing work with the dresses and evening gowns that Huberman would wear at parties and other social events that play into Huberman’s personality.
The special effects by Vernon L. Walker and Paul Eagler are fantastic for the rear-projects for driving scenes as well as some dazzling visuals that play into a key scene in the film’s third act. The sound work of John E. Tribby and Terry Kellum do superb work with the sound in how things sound in a room as well as a tense scene that play into an event that would add to the suspense. The film’s music by Roy Webb is wonderful for its soaring orchestral score with bombastic string arrangements and pieces that ranges from waltz-like sounds to sambas as it help adds to suspense and drama.
The film’s marvelous ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Fay Baker as a friend of Huberman in Ethel at the dinner party early in the film, Sir Charles Mendl as another friend of Huberman in the Commodore, and Wally Brown as another partygoer friend of Huberman. In the roles of former Nazi associates working with Sebastian include Friedrich von Ledebur as Knerr, Peter von Zerneck as Rossner, Ricardo Costa as a Brazilian in Dr. Barbosa, Ivan Triesault as the conspirator Mathis, Eberhard Krumschmidt as the conspirator Emil Hupka who would become troubled during a dinner in the film’s second act. Alexis Minotis is terrific as the Sebastian butler Joseph who watches over everything while becomes suspicious about Huberman. Moroni Olsen is superb as a U.S. agent in Walter Beardsley who works with Devlin. Reinhold Schunzel is excellent as a mysterious scientist in Dr. Anderson who is a colleague of Sebastian as he is also one of the leaders of the Nazi group.
Louis Calhern is fantastic as Devlin’s partner in Captain Paul Prescott who works in the Secret Service as he is trying to keep Devlin at bay while ensuring the assignment goes well. Leopoldine Konstantin is amazing as Sebastian’s mother Madame Anna as a woman that is suspicious towards Huberman as she is also a woman that is way more powerful and cunning than people give her credit for when she realizes that she knows something is not right about Huberman. Claude Rains is brilliant as Alex Sebastian as a former colleague of Huberman’s father who had a crush on Huberman as the idea of being with her again gives him a distraction that he craves from his Nazi activities though Rains brings that sense of a man who cannot be fooled easily where he would learn the truth.
Finally, there is the duo of Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman in spectacular performances in their respective roles as T.R. Devlin and Alicia Huberman. Grant displays that sense of charm as well as a demeanor that makes him tough and cunning. Grant also displays that sensitivity when he becomes concerned about Huberman while aware that he is falling for her as he tries to not to get both in trouble. Bergman’s performance as Huberman is entrancing in her radiance as a woman that knows she is ruined by her father’s activities and a lack of a real future until she is asked to help the U.S. government to clear her own name. Bergman also displays this sense of a woman trying to maintain some control as well as knowing what is at stake where she would later cope with her own feelings for Devlin and what is at stake as it is one of Bergman’s finest performances.
Notorious is a magnificent film by Alfred Hitchcock that features tremendous leading performances from Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, Ben Hecht’s riveting screenplay, gorgeous visuals, a study of love and secrecy, and a vibrant yet intense music soundtrack. It is a film that is not just an intoxicating and gripping noir film but also a film that also pushes the limits of what could be done to display sensuality and desire. In the end, Notorious is an outstanding film by Alfred Hitchcock.
Alfred Hitchcock Films: (Number 13) - (The Pleasure Garden) - (The Blackguard) - (The Mountain Eagle) - (The Lodger) - (A Story of the London Fog) - (The Ring) - (Downhill) - (The Farmer’s Wife) - (Easy Virtue) - (Champagne) - (The Manxman) - (Blackmail) - (Juno and the Paycock) - (Murder!) - (The Skin Game) - (Mary) - (Lord Camber’s Ladies) - (Rich and Strange) - (Number Seventeen) - (Waltzes from Vienna) - (The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)) – The 39 Steps (1935 film) - (Secret Agent) - (Sabotage) - (Young and Innocent) – The Lady Vanishes (1938 film) - (Jamaica Inn) – Rebecca - (Foreign Correspondent) – (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) – Suspicion (1941 film) - (Saboteur) – (Shadow of a Doubt) – Lifeboat - Bon Voyage (1944 film) - (Spellbound) – (The Paradine Cage) – Rope - (Under Capricorn) – (Stage Fright) – Strangers on a Train - I Confess - Dial M for Murder - Rear Window - To Catch a Thief - (The Trouble with Harry) – The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film) - (The Wrong Man) – Vertigo - North by Northwest - Psycho - The Birds - Marnie - (Torn Curtain) – (Topaz) – (Frenzy) – (Family Plot)
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