31 January 2008

Hitchcock's Best: Notorious



This classic film from 1946, Notorious, has it all. Director Alfred Hitchcock and Screenwriter Ben Hecht are at their best. Ingrid Bergman is at her most luminous, starring next to Cary Grant in his prime. Supporting roles by Claude Rains and Madame Konstantin are exceptional. Hecht and Rains both received Academy Award nominations for their work.

The other star in Notorious is Rio de Janeiro in the '40s, one of the world's most visually gorgeous cities at the time.

If you own only one Hitchcock film, you can't go wrong with this one.
*****

2 comments:

addie said...

You mean Notorious is Hitch's best?
I agree with your assessment of the elements, but I cannot see it as his best.
Maybe it is better than I remember, I will try to see it again. You know Taco, my dear, it is because of my jingoism really, Ingrid's accent drives me nuts, I admit it, her emphasis on the wrong words, etc. It is hard for me to watch her in a movie.
No, I'm kidding, I'm no Jingoist (that is not a word, is it?), it is just Ingrid herself.
I am going to try to watch it again because you and some others on this site have gotten me to change my mind about some other movies, or at least lower my standards.
hee hee

Paco Malo said...

You get to go to Rio before it was ruined; take the trip.