It tears you apart with suspense!

American scientist Newman pretends to defect to East Germany in order to obtain secrets; he doesn’t count on his girlfriend (Andrews) following him behind the Iron Curtain. This is Hitchcock venturing into Cold War territory, but results are too uneven. Ms. Andrews has been styled to look like the director’s blonde ideal, but neither she nor Newman are terribly engaging. The story is overlong, but don’t miss the elaborate countryside murder scene and the nail-biting bus trip.

1966-U.S. 130 min. Color. Produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Cast: Paul Newman (Michael Armstrong), Julie Andrews (Sarah Sherman), Lila Kedrova (Countess Kuchinska), David Opatoshu, Ludwig Donath. Cameo: Jan Malmsjö.

Trivia: This was the film that ended the famous partnership between Mr. Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann; the composer’s score was rejected and they never made another movie together again.

Published 2006-09-17 10:53