Hitchcock’s Noir Thriller Melodrama
Notes, March 25, 2025
Genre
Though there are elements of the espionage genre, Notorious is not a conventional spy movie, as these elements are incidental to the psychological characterization.
Heroes and Villains
The hero and heroine, played by Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, are ultimately characters less developed than the villains (played by Claude Rains).
The Gaze:
The intricate exchange of gazes between the three characters, played by Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rains, during the reception party is masterful, demonstrating Hitchcock’s skills of a subtle cutting that is directly associated with the development of narrative and characterization.
POV Shots: Favoring the Woman
Hitchcock favors the woman, Alicia, who torn between two men, by according her more POV shots than those given to the two men, Devlin and Sebastian. This is especially notable during the party scene.
According to Robin Wood, the number of shots from Alicia’s POV more than doubles the total of those shots accorded to Devlin (Grant) or Sebastian.
Villain and Hero
The villain in Notorious, Alexander Sebastian, is one of the most sympathetically tragic villains in Hitchcock’s cinema, even though he could be described as a middle-aged man (Rains) who’s still Mama’s Boy.
Significantly, his character is more developed and nuanced–we learn more about him–than that of the hero Devlin (Grant) or heroine (Bergman).
Food and Wine
In the beginning of the film, Alicia is a loose (amoral) woman, stating “The important drinking hasn’t started yet.”
There’s a dangerous drive after the party, with the drunken Alicia driving so fast they are stopped by the police.
There is a traveling close-up of the poisoned cup of coffee in Madame Sebastian’s hand as she carries it to Alicia.
The Sebastians’ spontaneous cry of warning when Dr. Anderson picks up by mistake Alicia’s cup. This gesture motivates Alicia’s look at the cup, signaling her recognition of what’s happening.
Last Shot: The Villain and Happy Ending?
The film’s last shot is not about the reunion (and kiss) of Devlin and Alicia, but of Sebastien slowly mounting the stairs outside his home toward his demise, an inevitable doom.
This image sheds a darker cloud over the “happy ending,” emphasizing, once more the prevailing irony and ambiguity that define the entire film.
Theme: Love Story or Sexual/Emotional Exploitation
On the surface, Notorious is a troubled love story, full of obstacles. But in actuality, it’s a probe into sexual, emotional and political exploitation and manipulation, thus thematically fitting into many film noirs of the late 1940s.
Plausibility-Implausibility
What makes Devlin deduce that Alicia is in danger?
