Notorious (1946) ***** [1946 Noirish Double Feature Pt. 1]
Notorious (1946) is my favorite Hitchcock film and #12 in my Top 100 Films. I hadn't watched it in 10 years (!) and I skipped buying the previous 2012 MGM Blu-ray release, as I'd been waiting (very patiently, it seems) for The Criterion Collection to upgrade their previous 2001 DVD release. It was worth the wait for their new edition because the new 4K restoration, wealth of supplements, and beautiful artwork finally give the film the home video treatment it deserves (hopefully Spellbound (1946) will receive the same upgrade soon).
In my eyes the quintessential Hitchcock film, Notorious—without a single gunshot or punch, but certainly with its share of bravura shots (including an infamous Hays Code-pushing kissing scene)—combines technically impressive aspects with magnetic performances by Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant, and an excellent script by the prolific (and often uncredited) ace screenwriter Ben Hecht.
Hitchcock is well known as "the Master of Suspense" and Notorious is one of the prime examples of why he earned that title. It's a complex romance, intensely passionate and erotic (all implied), yet also a gripping spy drama that doesn't rely on action set pieces or violence to deliver its story.
You can find my Alfred Hitchcock Feature Films Ranked list here.
In my eyes the quintessential Hitchcock film, Notorious—without a single gunshot or punch, but certainly with its share of bravura shots (including an infamous Hays Code-pushing kissing scene)—combines technically impressive aspects with magnetic performances by Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant, and an excellent script by the prolific (and often uncredited) ace screenwriter Ben Hecht.
Hitchcock is well known as "the Master of Suspense" and Notorious is one of the prime examples of why he earned that title. It's a complex romance, intensely passionate and erotic (all implied), yet also a gripping spy drama that doesn't rely on action set pieces or violence to deliver its story.
You can find my Alfred Hitchcock Feature Films Ranked list here.
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