“Notorious” (1946) directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant & Ingrid Bergman / Z-View

Notorious (1946)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Screenplay: Ben Hecht

Stars: Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains and Louis Calhern.

Tagline: “The screen’s top romantic stars in a melodramatic masterpiece!

The Plot…

Alicia Huberman (Bergman) is the daughter of a convicted Nazi spy.  Although she didn’t agree with her father’s politics, she has been painted with the same brush.  Upset with her life, Alicia has taken to drinking and partying.  When she is recruited to become a spy by US Government agent, T. R. Devlin (Grant), Alicia accepts.  Her assignment is to infiltrate a group of Nazis in Rio de Janeiro with Devlin as her contact.  She must attempt to seduce Alex Sebastian (Rains), one of the top ranking Nazis.

As time passes, Devlin and Alicia fall in love.  As the demands of her seduction of Sebastian increase, so does the strain on Devlin and Alicia’s relationship.  When Sebastian asks her to marry him, Alicia must make a decision that will put her relationship with Devlin as well as her life in danger.

Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…

Grant and Bergman have great chemistry.  In the original script Bergman’s character was a call girl.  In the filmed version it is obvious that she’s a loose spirit with a liberal attitude.  Quite risqué for the time.  Grant and Bergman have an extended scene where they kiss.  At the time the Hayes Code required kisses to last no more than three seconds.  Hitchock got around this by having them barely separate to talk as they kissed.

Hitchcock knows how to work a movie.  Grant wants to stop Bergman from doing what needs to be done, but he wants her to stop of her own accord so he says/does nothing.  Bergman wants Grant to tell her not to do what needs to be done, but when he says, nothing, she thinks he doesn’t care.  They both fail to do what both want to be done…

I love the ending.

Notorious (1946) rates 5 of 5 stars.