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Summary: Notorious DVD Correction
Review: A word about the transfer in response to Mike Jory's review. The full frame transfer of this movie is the complete picture. Widescreen movies weren't introduced until 1953. (There are a handful of exceptions but Notorious isn't one of them).
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Summary: A Classy, Suspenseful Noirish Romance....
Review: ....one of Hitch's best, done in fabulous classic B&W, gives that other film Bergman and Rains star in (you know? "Casablanca"!) a run for its money as far as having great romance, intrigue, suspense. Best scenes:Cary carrying Ingrid down the stairs and out the mansion and the wine cellar scene. It verifies why Mumsy oughta live somewhere other than with you...
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Summary: Hitchcock's Notorious
Review: Here are Hitchcock, Grant, Bergman and Raines at their very best. A classic in every sense. This is Hitchcock at his most creative: extraordinary photography, superb performances and a haunting, enigmatic story wrapped up as an exciting thriller. Don't even think about seeing it if you never have - just see it.
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Summary: classic Hitch
Review: Ingrid Bergman is the notorious daughter of a German traitor living in Florida, in Bergman's second of three films she made for Alfred Hitchcock. Here she is more glamourous as a drunken "tramp" than her bespectled psychiatrist in Spellbound, her bad-girl image highlighted by the Edith Head wardrobe being predominantly black. The plot about Bergman acting as an American agent to entrap Claude Rains and postwar Nazi's in Rio who are experimenting with uranium ore, is "a lot of hooey" but Hitchcock creates suspense with a woman in peril narrative aided by Bergman's sensitive acting. She's also funny when she speaks in the colloquialism's penned by Ben Hecht. Hecht's narrative has similarities to Gilda, by creating a mysogynistic universe, with immoral female characters, and having the heroine guarded by a man too afraid of her to admit his love, played by Cary Grant. When Bergman looks out an airplane window Grant shrinks back from her beauty. Subsequently he treats her cruely, much like Glenn Ford mistreated Rita Hayworth in Charles Vidor's kinky title. There is a homosexual subtext, with Claude Rains living with his vicious mother (played wonderfully by Leopoldine Konstantin), commenting on how handsome other men are, and Grant's notorious bisexuality underlying his hesitation. He also kisses Bergman as unconvincingly as he would later kiss Eva Marie Saint in North by Northwest in another extended kissing sequence. The one here is famous for lasting 3 minutes and allowing Hitch to get around the Production Code limitations of the day. One can read Hitchcock's obsession with his female stars, Bergman in particular, in the attention she receives from Claude Rains as an older suitor. The most celebrated of scenes in this film is probably the party, where the camera moves in one take from the top of a staircase down to a key in Bergman's hand, and the business about the key is indicative of the detail that makes Hitchcock's work so enjoyable.
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Summary: Stars Shine in Rio
Review: One of Alfred Hitchcock's most complex romances features two of his favorite stars (Gary Grant and Ingrid Bergman) in the lead roles. Set against a background of spies and counterspies, Notorious remains first and foremost a love story. When Alicia Huberman (Bergman), the daughter of a convicted Nazi is hired as a double agent, she discovers she's in for more than she bargained for. While assigned to uncover scientific secrets from Germans hiding in Brazil, Bergman makes the ultimate sacrifice for her country by marrying her father's former conspirator, Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains). Bergman is desperately in love with American agent T. R. Devlin (Grant), who she believes has deserted her emotionally, but marries Rains almost out of spite rather than pure patriotism. Through the many plot twists and turns, Bergman and Grant realize their true feelings for one another. A truly wonderful suspense, Hitchcock gets amazing performances from his cast. Bergman (never more beautiful or appealing) and Grant are excellent as the lovers who can't seem to express their mutual affection. Both seem ready to explode from all the pent up emotions. Rains is perfect as the mama's boy Nazi leader, and what a mother German actress Leopoldine Konstantin is in her only American film! The plot was so original that the writers of Mission Impossible II ripped it off (including the contact meeting scene at the racetrack!) with less than mediocre success.
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Summary: The master of suspense crafted his greatest tale.
Review: NOTORIOUS stars Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant and Claude Rains caught up in Hitchcock's best masterpiece.Cary Grant is an American agent who convinces daughter of a Nazi recently convicted for the crime of treason against his new country. Her mission is to obtain top-secret information from her father's old friend Claude Rains, who fell in love with her once upon a time. Problems arise when Grant and Bergman fall in love, and she marries Rains in spite of it, because she knows not what to do. Filled with suspense, brilliant acting, sharp direction, amazing cinematography and of course, a three foot coffee cup, NOTORIOUS is the best film that anyone in the crew ever made, and one of the best films ever made.
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Summary: Superb Film from the Master of Suspense
Review: Just because it starred Ingrid Bergman and was directed by Alfred Hitchcock was reason enough to see this movie. The film stars Bergman, the daughter of a Nazi-traitor, who is hired by a Secret American Agency to spy on Claude Rains and find everything she can about him. This should be easy since he has a huge crush on her. However Rains becomes more and more suspicious as Bergman and her accomplice, cleverly played by Cary Grant, fall deeply in love with each other. This film is excellent in every way- superb acting, masterful direction, and chock full of suspense. In fact, this is probably the most suspenseful film I have ever seen. I was on the edge of my seat at every moment. This film ranks with the best of Hitchcock's films, including Vertigo & Psycho.
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Summary: Where are the extras?
Review: The movie,of course,is superb,but where are all the extras? Pioneer released a laserdisc edition in 1994 which incorporated the following:two versions of the original theatrical trailer;a fascinating selection of the production correspondence;helpful illustrative accounts of certain techniques,such as back projection;a generous selection of publicity shots;excerpts from the novel - The Song of the Dragon - on which the movie was based;highlights from the 1948 Lux Radio broadcast version starring Bergman and Joseph Cotten;and alternate endings to the movie.This DVD features a fairly decent print of a movie that is in some need of careful restoration,but it is disappointing that more thought did not go into the overall package.This is a treasurable movie:classic Hitchcock,classic Grant,classic Bergman,classic Hollywood suspense.It deserves a more respectful presentation than this,and one can only hope that sooner rather than later a Criterion,remastered,version will be released with some well-chosen extras.
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Summary: Bergman, Rains and Grant at their absolute best!
Review: I was channel surfing one evening when I stumbled across this film just as it was beginning. Ingrid Bergman's name flashed on the opening credits and I stayed with it. I wasn't disappointed. The performances of all the actors, even those with the most minor roles were awe-inspiring. Bergman's role within a role... a female spy pretending to adore her husband of convenience while you can see from her eyes that she's dying inside is unforgettable. Hitchcock uses filming techniques new to the industry at the time this film was released... and the direction should not be understated. Even the best performers in the world can not carry a movie without proper direction. Hitchcock presents a masterful piece of film... part espionage thriller, part romance, part tragedy... and scenes you will never forget. Grant and Bergman have terrific chemistry in this film and Claude Rains' performance as the debonair and worshipping husband of Bergman is without parallel. Rains' mother is the easy-to-hate, sadistic leash holder of her son and does a terrific job of being the one you love to hate the most. Rains' obviously shattered heart helps you have sympathy for a man you know by watching the film has done evil deeds himself. This is a classic, must-see film for anyone who wants intrigue, suspense and terrific acting in a film... one that requires more than brain-stem activity to enjoy.
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Summary: Finally, Great film get to DVD
Review: OK, If you want to read about the story check out the paragraphs above. I don't like repeating the obvious. This review is for the DVD release. It's a very good quality, clean print. The transfer to video was done with good contrast, the black level in the camera was great - it makes for nice contrast on the screen, not washed out. The only part that faked me out was setting the sound to a "simulated" stereo, I turned the center and rear speakers off. The sound is clean, almost no noise. The only REALLY BIG disappointment was the transfer was made to 4:3 full screen format. Wouldn't it have been just as easy to keep the original ratio, either 1:85 or 2:35? But, even at full screen the movie's story was still very enjoyable. I just wanted to see the full frame. I hope more classics come out like this. I'm also gratified when someone really blows the whistle on a BAD transfer - like a poor quality VHS rip-off's. Please keep up the notices.
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