One of the master's best

I admit, I feel unqualified somehow to criticize an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Ever since I saw Rear Window a year ago, I’ve been amazed by his talent, when in the service of a fairly ordinary plot (Strangers on a Train) and more so when he works with material worthy of his ability, as is the case here. Whenever I get tired of modern thrillers, where sweaty guys disarm bombs (always with one second left on the clock) and watch explosions and sex and graphic violence, I’ll watch a Hitchcock film and reflect that the master did more with dialogue and intimation than anybody’s ever done since.

The film opens as a Nazi sympathizer is sentenced to twenty years in prison. His daughter, Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman), is a promiscuous woman, and at one of her parties, she’s contacted by T. R. Devlin (Cary Grant), an American agent who needs her for a job in Brazil, the details of which are unknown to either of them. They fall in love, and spend an idyllic couple of days until Devlin is contacted by Capt. Paul Prescott (Louis Calhern), the head of intelligence. The job, it turns out, is seducing Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains), a Nazi leader who is running a mysterious project. Alicia agrees, and soon finds herself in more trouble than anyone anticipated.

Cary Grant is best known for his charm, and Hitchcock uses that to good effect. Here, Grant’s charm is a shield, to hide his insecurities and the depth of his emotion behind a veil of wit and cool professionalism. I think his performance here is one of his best that I’ve ever seen. The same goes for Ingrid Bergman, who gives amazing depth to her character. Alicia might have become a one-note character but for Bergman’s talent, and she effectively portrays the character with not just cynicism but also romanticism. Claude Rains is menacing just behind his grin and ingratiating manner, and towards the end, portrays Sebastian’s impotence powerfully.

Ben Hecht, writer of His Girl Friday, Strangers on a Train, and Monkey Business, here writes dialogue that sometimes crackles and sometimes floats like a buoy over the rich subtext. He leaves no characters undeveloped, from the insecure Devlin to the puritanical officers in American Intelligence. The characters are intelligent, a blessed relief in thriller movies (although not surprising from Hitchcock).

The true star here, though, is the master, who plays this movie with a deft touch. Suspense he knows, and this is one of his best efforts. He conveys more with glances, with wordless scenes, and with camera angles than most directors could with $200 million and massive special effects. The final scene is undoubtedly the best, a masterpiece of tension, of depth, and of powerful emotion. When the door shuts, there is no more that needs to be said.

Hitchcock requires his audience to be actively participating to truly enjoy his films; some things might not be caught otherwise. However, to the audience member who pays attention, Notorious is a masterpiece, rich with good writing, powerful acting, and the best director a thriller ever had.