6 Reasons to Love Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious
Classic Romantic Suspense Film Stars Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman
May 7, 2009
First of all, let’s get this straight: Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film Notorious, a 1946 romantic thriller has absolutely nothing in common with the 2009 biographical drama Notorious about Notorious B.I.G. (a.k.a. Christopher Wallace), the famous rapper. In fact, with its deceptive calm, unspoken menace, and subtle innuendo, Hitchcock’s Notorious is the antithesis of rap music.
Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious: Film Synopsis
To avoid dealing with the fact that her father was convicted of treason for aiding Germany during World War II, Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) loses herself in a wild life of alcohol, parties, and irresponsibility. The daughter of an American mother, Alicia views her father’s betrayal as a matter of personal shame. One day when she least expects it, a handsome American secret agent, TR Devlin (Cary Grant), comes into her life and coerces Alicia into spying on war criminals living in Brazil.
This Classic Film is a Great Addition to Your DVD Collection
Alicia agrees to the assignment as an attempt to clear the Huberman name from its earlier infamy. Unfortunately, she must work closely with dangerous German refugees hiding out in Rio de Janeiro. She especially dreads spying on Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains), her father’s close friend who is suspected of many war crimes. This detestable older man (and cowardly momma’s boy) has always been attracted to Alicia, thereby presenting a double danger to her.
The closer she gets to Alexander to obtain information, the more jealous and possessive he becomes toward her. The situation becomes even more complicated when Devlin and Alicia develop feelings for one another. Add an evil and conniving mother (Leopoldine Konstantin) to the mix, and Alicia faces an increasing amount of physical and emotional danger that could possibly end her life – or at least her life as she knows it.
6 Reasons to Love Notorious
- Notorious includes a famous kissing scene between Grant and Bergman (just before Alicia receives her undercover assignment). The censorship code at the time required that kissing scenes be limited to three seconds. Hitchcock worked around those limits to present a passionate encounter and memorable movie moment that technically complied with the rules, but caused a sensation at the time.
- The entire cast provides extraordinary performances, and Claude Rains was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as the lustful, yet cloying and clingy, Alexander Sebastian.
- Ben Hecht (playwright, novelist, short story writer, and screenwriter) also was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay, which was inspired by the short story “The Song of the Dragon” by John Taintor Foote. Hecht worked with Hitchcock on other films, too, including Strangers on a Train, Rope, The Paradine Case, Spellbound, and Lifeboat.
- Hitchcock provides many of his signature directorial quirks, including dramatic framing, weird camera angles, subtle innuendo, and special effects in this dark romance, which all seemed quite shocking to 1946 audiences.
- Women can note the restrictive clothing, cumbersome jewelry, painful high-heeled shoes, and repressive social mores from another era, and be glad that times have changed.
- Those unforgettable wine cellar scenes combine intrigue and romance in an intoxicating setting.
Notorious on DVD
Notorious (1946) Fullscreen MGM Release 2008
- An American agent forces a party girl from Miami, Florida, to spy on dangerous war criminals living in Brazil.
- Starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains, Louis Calhern, Leopoldine Konstantin, Reinhold Schunzel, Moroni Olsen, Ivan Triesault
- Director: Alfred Hitchcock
- Run Time: 101 minutes
- Rating: Not Rated
- Additional Information: Filmed in black and white. Locations include Beverly Hills, California, Miami, Florida, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and in parks and gardens around California.
For more information about romantic movies, read Elements of Great Romantic Comedy.
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