Foreign Correspondent
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Movie Reviews of Foreign Correspondent
Movie Review: Ah, those windmills
Summary: 5 Stars
This was Alfred Hitchcock's second American movie after REBECCA. Joel McRae plays a reporter who's sent to England to find out what he can about the impending war; he quickly runs smack into the heart of a spy ring and a secret treaty. McRae learns too much and becomes the ring's number 1 target. As is typical in Hitchcock movies, the lead character (McRae) has trouble at first getting anyone to believe his story. Things really get complicated when McRae falls for Lorraine Day, whose father is the leader of the spy ring, though she is unaware of that. In order to keep Day, McRae doesn't want to reveal the truth about her father to her. The chase is on.
Some things are really superb about this movie. The airplane crash scene is a classic technically. The reconstructed windmill set looks great as does the assassination scene in the rain. George Sanders is excellent as the British newspaperman who believes McRae from the start. But Day is only so-so, though McRae is good. The movie "feels" long at 120 minutes, though parts of it are totally riveting. The movies that came later with Cary Grant might be better than this one, but it's still top-drawer Hitchcock. Defintely worth a watch.
Movie Review: Practically perfect in every way!
Summary: 5 Stars
Not the best known of films in the Hitchcock canon, but absolutely should be! Drama, suspense, comedy (especially the one-liner throw aways crafted by Robert Benchley who is also in the film), character actors cast against type, Oscar-quality acting (Albert Bassermann was nominated but did not win), superb art direction, and envelop-pushing special effects. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT (1940) received nine well-deserved Oscar nominations. Hitchcock and wife Alma developed the script. And what a script! It holds up well after 70 years. Gary Cooper turned down the lead (Joel McCrea got the part) which he later admitted had been a big mistake.
The real star of the picture is William Cameron Menzies, the in-camera special effects guru and the 1940 version of Industrial Light and Magic rolled into one person. It's hard to believe that the ocean plane crash (the Clipper was shot down) sequences at the film's end were done without CGI!
Hitchcock at his well-rounded best.
Movie Review: Slick Hitchcock
Summary: 5 Stars
Slick and smart Hitchcock thriller that successfully balances likable characterizations (even though McCrea and Day may not have been the director's first choices) with a globe-trotting mystery. "Foreign Correspondent" fits, quite well, into Hitchcock's group of man on the run films ("The 39 Steps", "Saboteur", "North by Northwest".) Ignoring the sometimes heavy handed wartime propoganda (a product of its' time) this film offers some of the most spectacular set pieces of all Hitchcock's films; including McCrea's trek across the roof of the Hotel Europe, the famous Dutch Windmill scene, and the final plane crash at sea. The cinematography and print are pristine, the dialogue is taut and witty, and Alfred Newman provides a sufficiently jaunty score. The plot in a nutshell: McCrea, the intrepid but inexperienced reporter, stumbles upon a devious European spy ring peddling wartime secrets, kidnappings and assasination plots. This is a classic adventure film.Movie Review: remarkable!
Summary: 5 Stars
A masterpiece by the Grand Master himself (Alfred Hitchock) this film stands up to all measures of time. Entertaining, suspenseful, educational, and simply brilliant in all traditional Hitchock ways, this movie is a must see for anyone who enjoys movies. The script is the strongest here, but exceptional performances, superb editing, and talented cast and crew make this film truly extraordinary.
Originally, I had started watching this film on TV about a year ago and was intrigued but fell over from tiredness. I've been trying to track it down ever since. I'm definitely glad that I was finally able to get my hands on it. It looks very good on rewatch too and is the kind of film I wouldn't mind watching again and again.
Movie Review: Buy DVD of "Foreign Correspondent" for move plus EXTRAS!
Summary: 5 Stars
The Hitchcock film is beautifully photographed, the story and characters are compelling, the musical score moves the story along, and the writing is excellent. My interest is Robert Benchley's comic relief. He is in great form. His lines are laugh-out-loud funny. Get the DVD for the well-made documentary about the film which includes interviews with Benchley's grandsons Peter ("Jaws") and Nat ("Benchley Despite Himself"). This DVD is a MUST for any Robert Benchley fan. --David Trumbull, Chairman, Robert Benchley Society.