Country: GB
Technical: bw 83m
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: John Gielgud, Robert Young, Peter Lorre, Madeleine Carroll
Synopsis:
During World War I British agents are despatched to Switzerland to eliminate a German spy, but then they have second thoughts.
Review:
Passable Hitchcock spy caper with a witty script, a couple of memorable set pieces and ideal star performances, notably Gielgud (in a leading role) who is far better than many other young actors of his time in this sort of thing. The script juggles North by Northwest sexiness (Carroll excellent here) with moral qualms about killing, and the train wreck feels like a tacked on expedient (RFC attack on neutral territory? - Hmm); the result is a somewhat ineffectual centre, with Lorre as the itchy trigger finger unconvincingly distracted at the critical moment. There's a hilarious scene when the latter, in a fit of temper, tears the toilet roll holder off the wall. 'Hitchcock as ambiguous moralist', the French would say; indeed, Truffaut and Hitchcock wasted little time on the film in their celebrated study. The chase in the chocolate factory is an interesting experiment with sound, but it is the famous three-way murder scene that comes off best.
Country: GB
Technical: bw 83m
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: John Gielgud, Robert Young, Peter Lorre, Madeleine Carroll
Synopsis:
During World War I British agents are despatched to Switzerland to eliminate a German spy, but then they have second thoughts.
Review:
Passable Hitchcock spy caper with a witty script, a couple of memorable set pieces and ideal star performances, notably Gielgud (in a leading role) who is far better than many other young actors of his time in this sort of thing. The script juggles North by Northwest sexiness (Carroll excellent here) with moral qualms about killing, and the train wreck feels like a tacked on expedient (RFC attack on neutral territory? - Hmm); the result is a somewhat ineffectual centre, with Lorre as the itchy trigger finger unconvincingly distracted at the critical moment. There's a hilarious scene when the latter, in a fit of temper, tears the toilet roll holder off the wall. 'Hitchcock as ambiguous moralist', the French would say; indeed, Truffaut and Hitchcock wasted little time on the film in their celebrated study. The chase in the chocolate factory is an interesting experiment with sound, but it is the famous three-way murder scene that comes off best.
