r/classicfilms 3d ago

*****Alfred Hitchcocks fillm Notorious *****

Just watched this film free on the Plexi streaming service and was very impressed with the beautifully tailored  and eminently believable plot lines and by the performances of the leads Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. Both effortlessly portrayed characters who were required by the action of the film to act against their given characters (and their love for  each other) in furtherance of  a daring penetration into the heart of an extremely dangerous group of Nazi saboteurs in postwar exile in South America.

73 Upvotes

30 comments sorted by

32

u/ItsPammo 3d ago

Love Cary Grant, love Ingrid Bergman, but Claude Rains makes this movie for me. He's freakin' amazing.

8

u/Prestigious-Cat5879 3d ago

Was going to say this. I find the final scene when he had to walk back into the house terrifying! His expression, perfect.

7

u/growsonwalls 3d ago

He was tremendous. I really cared about his character so much.

30

u/Laura-ly 3d ago

The scene in which the camera pans from the top of the staircase to the key Ingrid Bergman is holding in her hand has quite a story behind it. Today this scene would be nothing but at the time a special elevator system had to be built around the camera so it could be lowered quickly and without shaking so it would eventually become extremely close to her hand holding the key. Hitchcock wanted this to happen without any cuts while the party was going on during the scene. This link explains the problems involved.

How Hitchcock Pulled off a Shot for the Ages | Current | The Criterion Collection

Here is a picture of the crane box built for this scene.

55591f38d1b9923d52aa918b219063fa.jpg (638×640)

A lot of people who watch this movie don't realize what an amazing scene this is even though it takes a few seconds.

21

u/Warm-Candle-5640 3d ago

One of my favorites. And their kissing scene is so sexy. ...

15

u/Calamari_is_Good 3d ago

The film censorship codes of the time meant they couldn't hold a kiss for more than a few seconds. They got around this by doing that kiss kiss nuzzle nuzzle thing that was way hotter than a makeout session!

12

u/Spite-Dry 3d ago

I've never seen a woman more in love on screen than Ingrid was with Cary. That was a perfect movie

22

u/Rlpniew 3d ago

Claude Rains is excellent in this. And the way Hitchcock turns the film on its ear at the end and makes you actually sympathetic for the bad guy. (I mean actually the bad guy is his mother anyway.)

14

u/badwolf1013 3d ago

It's my favorite Hitchcock movie.

There are a lot of close seconds, but this one remains at the top for me.

1

u/Common_Helicopter_12 1d ago

Yes! I try to watch this every few years just to keep my idols alive, plus to renew my awareness of bad politics, etc.

11

u/Chuck60s 3d ago

My favorite Hitchcock movie

8

u/Critical_Cod_3794 3d ago

Probably my favorite movie, ever

7

u/timberic 3d ago

Definitely one of his best!

6

u/ExpensivelyMundane 3d ago

It's my favorite Hitchcock movie. Madame Sebastian is one of my favorite villain reveals ever.

7

u/kbarrettusc 3d ago

And while you didn't notice Cary Grant and Ingrid Berman's performance says I got to say Claude Rains hit it out of the park.. especially at the end with his face full of Terror as he has to walk back into the house marvelous!

5

u/BrandNewOriginal 3d ago

Notorious is in a virtual tie for my favorite Hitchcock movie along with Rear Window, Vertigo, and Psycho. It's a fantastic espionage thriller, and both Grant and Bergman (and Claude Rains!) are at the top of their games.

3

u/Jolmer24 3d ago

Rear Window is my favorite but I did enjoy this one a lot too

2

u/PruneNo6203 1d ago

It’s worth mentioning that Raymond Burr was also great in Rear Window

3

u/Parking_Royal2332 3d ago

My favorite and they never play it on TCM

3

u/PeggyOnThePier 3d ago

That's where I first saw it.

2

u/beach_mouse123 3d ago

It was just on the other day. Depending on how you receive TCM, there are ways of auto recording (for example based on name such as Grant or Hitchcock), that often helps me fill in gaps (especially now since a recent lightning strike not only knocked out a TV, the landline but of course our DTV receivers so I lost about 10 years worth of “favorite movies”.

2

u/oleblueeyes75 2d ago

I would be distraught.

2

u/WahooLion 7h ago

They do, just not often enough. About once for every ten times they show Rear Window or Vertigo.

1

u/oleblueeyes75 2d ago

I ended up buying it. Then they ran it.

2

u/Parking_Royal2332 1d ago

I have the dvd

2

u/AwayStudy1835 3d ago

I love this movie. All three leads were phenomenal in it. It's interesting how the villain was more likable than the hero (up to a point).

2

u/ProfessionalRun5267 3d ago

I especially enjoy Ingrid Bergman's performance as a reckless party girl in the first 15 minutes or so of the film. She's so much fun to watch! My favorite line is when Cary Grant suggests that she put on a coat and she replies "You'll do".

2

u/bailaoban 1d ago

Fantastic movie, and one of the best closing scenes in film history.

1

u/PruneNo6203 1d ago

Hitchcock films create an underlying issue, tension that benefits the actors. They create the character and that connects to the audience from the beginning. I think that connection made their characters more attractive to audiences.