Berüchtigt

Notorious reminded me of black and white Protectorate and First Republic photos once shown in a series of films for eyewitnesses. My mother used to sit by the television and dreamily admire the stars of the silver screen and the atmosphere of the stories that certainly did not take place in factory halls or while farming fields. I believe that once upon a time, Notorious successfully fulfilled the idea of a high-quality noir thriller with a spy plot. Once upon a time is not today, however, and the whole story hardly arouses any tension or interest in me. What remains is the presence of two legendary actors and the romantic storyline of their relationship. If there is something that still works in the film after all these years, it is the charisma of both stars, for which fans of the famous pair can confidently add any number of stars. I prefer different genres and above all a different film style. Overall impression: 45%. (26.01.2013)

It's true that the relationship/romance angle doesn't work very convincingly for long, but what the hell. Who else but Hitchcock could escalate a spy love story to such dramatic heights without needing a single direct flash of violence or sex? The simple story of one fragile infiltration steps on the gas pedal and never lets down because Hitch brilliantly leads actors who don't overact, while working magic with the camera in the interiors, and above all, once again, stunningly stretches in seemingly mundane motifs that become key in communicating to the viewer (the keys, the cellar and its contents). An excellent Ingrid Bergman and amazing direction of the greatest classic of black and white cinema – nothing more is needed to recommend it. 85% (19.09.2018)