In Alfred Hitchcock's 1946 film, `Notorious', Cary Grant plays T.R. Devlin, an American agent who employs the assistance of Alicia Huberman, (Ingrid Bergman) a German expatriate whose father has just been convicted as a German spy. Devlin brings Alicia to Brazil in hopes to arrange a meeting with Alex Sebastian (the fantastic Claude Rains); another German spy who just happens to have a history with Alicia insofar that he was in love with her. The plan is to get them together so that she can spy on Sebastian and his colleagues so that the Americans can get a leg up on their mutual espionage. Of course, love develops between Devlin and Alicia, which complicates their operation and of course, their lives.

`Notorious', despite adhering to the chaste Hayes Code of the time has some of the steamiest scenes between two actors that I can recall during that era. While the scenes never get beyond the standard close-ups of their kisses, the chemistry is a heavy physical presence. The acting in `Notorious' is top-notch; Grant and Bergman were at their best during this era. Claude Rains, who is a personal favorite of mine, is absolutely fabulous in this film. He gives his character, who should be hateful, a humanistic quality that makes him an even more complicated figure. Screenwriter Ben Hecht and Hitchcock team up for some pretty intense moments in `Notorious', and compliment each others styles and talents wonderfully. There are not many nail-biting moments in `Notorious', but the script is excellent. Coupled with the superior acting and direction, `Notorious' is certainly a Hitchcock film that should not be missed.

--Shelly

This is a very good Alfred Hitchcock film, though it is not one of his more famous productions. Because of this, I was very surprised to see it ranked so high in the IMDb Top 250! Now I am not saying this is a bad film and there are certainly worse films among the exalted few on the list. However, I am pointing out that I feel it is a tad overrated just so viewers don't have expectations that are a bit too high for the film. Of course, it is also possible the film IS that great and I just didn't appreciate it.

The film starts with the conviction of a Nazi spy in an American court. His daughter is Ingrid Bergman and in response to all the notoriety from the case, she is leading a life that is sure to kill her sooner or later. What many do NOT realize is that her home has been bugged and our government knows she is not pro-Nazi. So, because her reputation has been ruined by good old dad, she is an excellent candidate to infiltrate a group in Brazil that MIGHT be a group of Nazis hoping to create a new Reich.

Unfortunately, the American agent who recruits her is the ever so studly Cary Grant and they naturally fall in love. But, because she needs to infiltrate and even marry someone within this secret group, Grant later responds to Ingrid Bergman with cold indifference--even though it was obvious to everyone they had fallen in love. It's a great example of duty and patriotism superseding everything else.

During the infiltration of the Neo-Nazi group, there is a lot of suspense but it is all done in a very restrained way. You know that she is in danger but it is subtle and difficult to detect. Because of these qualities, the film does an excellent job of building tension and involving the viewer.

As far as negatives go, the only one (and boy is it minor) is that once again they cast Cary as an American even though he has a lovely English accent. Considering how often this occurred in other films and what a fine actor he was, I was certainly willing to forget this and focus on the excellent movie. The writer (Ben Hecht) and director (Alfred Hitchcock) are both among the more famous in their field and this film is ample evidence of their abilities.

By the way, a later effort to re-team of Grant and Bergman and re-kindle the romance on screen was far less successful in INDISCREET--a passable but not especially memorable film.

Alfred Hitchcock is my favourite director, and I love a vast majority of his films particularly Psycho, Vertigo, Rear Window, Rebecca, The Lady Vanishes, Strangers on a Train, Shadow of a Doubt, North By Northwest, Dial M For Murder and 39 Steps. Notorious for many reasons is one of my favourite films from the Master of Suspense. The cinematography, locations and costumes are ravishing, I loved that stunning crane shot swooping towards the key in Bergman's hand, while the score is beautiful, romantic and melodious. The script itself is like poetry, Hitchcock's direction is superb with some very nice deft touches and the story is engaging with the suspense unfolding in a more subtle way than with North By Northwest or Vertigo. And the acting is wonderful. Cary Grant is charming and urbane not to mention ice-cold in character, while Ingrid Bergman is alluring and vulnerable and their chemistry is note-perfect. They are almost out-shadowed by the outstanding supporting performance of Claude Rains, who was one of the best supporting actors of his time with one of the most memorable voices; he plays a truly treacherous character yet also gives him a sense of humanity. Parts of Notorious may be slow, but to me it is never boring. It is not thematically complex, but it is dark and romantic and is truly polished entertainment too. In conclusion, another favourite Hitchcock of mine, and I personally think it is a must-watch for any fans of the director. 10/10 Bethany Cox