Details
Movie Description
NOTORIOUS is Alfred Hitchcock's classic romantic espionage thriller, with passionate, brilliant performances by Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, featuring one of the most famous screen kisses in film history. At the end of World War II, American military intelligence drafts the alluring daughter (Bergman) of a convicted Nazi to infiltrate a band of nefarious Germans who have fled to Brazil. She is teamed with a dashing but chilly agent (Cary Grant) with whom she falls deeply in love. Because of her past, however, the rigid and judgmental agent refuses to trust her--and their relationship falls completely apart when she agrees to marry the ringleader of the Germans (Claude Rains) in order to have better access to information. The marriage touches off an intricate downward spiral of deceit and betrayal, leaving Bergman trapped in the home of an enemy. If her husband ever discovers the truth about her mission, her life will be in mortal danger. Punchy dialog animates this action-driven thriller that maintains its suspenseful drama to the very end.
Synopsis
South America at the close of World War II provides a steamy microcosm of the European conflict for this tense story of love, deception, and betrayal. The daughter (Ingrid Bergman) of an infamous German spy might be the perfect agent to infiltrate a secretive band of Nazi emigres, but does her past guarantee her commitment or compromise her loyalty? Romantic tension grows between Bergman and the American agent played by Cary Grant, but he cannot overcome his suspicion of her. With her choice to marry the group's evil ringleader, Claude Rains, Bergman may alienate Grant completely just at the time when she needs him the most.
Film Notes
Released theatrically in New York City on August 15, 1946.
Hitchock cameo: In one of his most exciting cameos, Hitchcock appears as a guest at a party, taking a drink off a tray, heightening what was already a very tense, dramatic scene.
The FBI had Alfred Hitchcock under surveillance for a period of time because of his interest in the atom bomb.
The film cost $2 million to make and grossed $8 million.
The crane shot at the party, which comes swooping across the stairs, was one of the longest and most challenging shots in Hollywood history at that time.
Special ramps were built on the set that would "lift" Claude Rains, who was much shorter than Ingrid Bergman.
Industry Reviews
"...Alfred Hitchcock's NOTORIOUS is the most elegant expression of the master's visual style..."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (08/17/1997)
"...Romantic, brilliantly constructed, and glowing with beauty, it's a stunning example of the master's work..."
Entertainment Weekly - Daniel Fierman (10/19/2001)
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