Notorious (1946)

5/5

Hitchcock has been named the master of suspense, and for good reason. Notorious remains one of the most nail-biting movies I have ever seen. It is one of Hitchcock's finest films, without a shred of doubt. The plot follows Cary Grant as a federal agent involved in the German spying business and Ingrid Bergman as the daughter of a German recently found guilty of treason. He has been told by his superiors to enlist her help, and after meeting they quickly fall in love. The job she is requested to do involves spying on a man who used to love her, played expertly by Claude Rains, and so the complicated web of emotions begins. I will let you enjoy discovering the rest of the plot when you check it out yourself.

The more I watch Hitchcock's Notorious, the fonder I grow of it. The first time I saw it I gave it 4 stars, the second time I gave it 4.9 stars, and finally I've come to my senses on this third viewing and given it the 5 stars it deserve. Watching it again, I am struck by its subtle expert touches. Hitchcock uses common, everyday items and images to generate suspense: wine bottles on ice, keys on a keychain, coffee cups on saucers. He uses restrained editing and long takes with unerring camera movement to build that suspense, instead of rapid-fire cutting or close-ups on sweating faces. He uses silence and our own imagination to terrify us instead of trite musical chords or gratuitous violence found in modern movies. He uses intelligence to craft the ending instead of cheap twists, and the result is something that absolutely cannot be forgotten. That walk down those stairs is awe-inspiring in its simplicity; that return trip to the house remains haunting in its condemnation.

But the spying is only part of the movie. There is an equally memorable romance that both flabbergasted me with its brutality and floored me with its beauty. The performances by all three leads are compelling and believable, heart-breaking and redemptive. The love story and espionage tale are not two discrete parts of one movie, but are intertwined in both plot and emotion. Each makes the other more fulfilling and rewarding. The suspense is more terrifying because we care about those involved, and the romance is more powerful because the stakes are so high. Can you imagine what that kiss outside the wine cellar must have been like for them? Can you imagine?

Notorious is unrelenting in many departments. It succeeds because it traps us in its world, it envelops us in its terrifying environment, and it softens us with empathy for its characters. We feel everything we are supposed to because Hitchcock is such a deft magician with the art of film. He absolutely controls us in this movie, but he does it with heart and humor. And we walk out of this movie thankful for his talent, thankful for the entire experience.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0038787/

Casablanca (1942)

5/5

Michael Curtiz's Casablanca is without a doubt the greatest romance to ever grace the silver screen. The story follows Rick Blaine (Bogart) in Casablanca during World War II. While the rest of France is German-occupied, Casablanca represents a bastion of hope for those trying to flee to America. After two letters of transit find their way into Rick's gin joint, so do married freedom fighters Victor Laszlo (Henreid) and Ilsa Lund (Bergman). We soon find out that Rick and Ilsa shared a past together once, in Paris.

The plot exhibits the same sentimental heartbreak as in every love story, with both parties guilty of misunderstandings and mistakes. But the plot itself is not what makes this movie great. It is the way the story unfolds, the way we are introduced to the characters, the way they appear to evolve and develop before our very eyes. And yet the people we see at the end of the movie are the same as those at the beginning; it is merely the lens through which we see them that changes. As we discover more about each character's intentions and motivations, we go from despising them and the hurt they caused each other to adoring them and their tremendous love for each other. Our hearts are manipulated so forcefully and so easily, it is almost inhumane.

The emotional roller-coaster ride we go through would have been effective if all it had was a script as phenomenal as this one, but the acting is what makes it real--and what makes it hurt. Bergman and Bogart are at their best, able to evoke pity, horror, hatred, and sympathy at the drop of a hat. And after all they put us through, we are grateful to have met them. For everyone who has seen this movie, Bogie will always be Rick and Ingrid will always be Ilsa.

As for the rest of the cast, they are spectacular all around. From the minor performers to the major supporting roles, the film is chock-full of memorable characters. They infuse the piece with witty banter and humorous irony. We are intrigued by the cordial competition with black marketeer Ferrari (Greenstreet) and the affectionate back-and-forth with Captain Renault (Rains) as their beautiful friendship begins. And we cherish their presence.

Technically, the film is rather unremarkable. The editing manages an economy of scenes, albeit with a few extraneous ones. The lighting and cinematography get the job done, with some well-lit shots and well-composed long takes. Unlike Citizen Kane, the filmmaking is not what makes this movie great. It is the flawless love story between Rick and Ilsa that tugs at our heartstrings and attracts us to this movie. And it will always be Rick and Ilsa that brings us back to it, over and over again, as time goes by.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/