Sunday 19 July 2015

Notorious (1946 Alfred Hitchcock)

We needed some first-rate Hitchcock.

I once said this film has half close ups and half long shots. I know what I meant by that, even if it's not strictly accurate. But you do realise that the Master has the most incredible control over this film - his choice of shots and the compositions are absolutely amazing.

Not only is there no substitute for Cary Grant, neither is there for Ingrid Bergman - she's fantastic in one of her last US films before being temporarily ostracised by Hollywood for having a baby with Rossellini.
(Actually there's no equivalent of Claude Rains either.)

Credit must go to Ted Tetzlaff's photography but also to the (uncredited) operator and focus puller.
Music is by Roy Webb.

Louis Calhern is perhaps familiar to us from The Asphalt Jungle.

It's also quite sneaky - Grant is essentially in role of pimp.

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