Film Breakdowns - Notorious (1946)

Film Breakdowns - Notorious (1946)

To become the best, we have to learn from the best. 

Notorious is the fantastic story of an agent who recruits a woman to befriend and spy on a group of Nazi's, but ends up with conflicting emotions when he starts to fall in love with her.

Also, directed by the legendary Alfred Hitchcock, one of my all time favourite directors. A great story with great characters.

Let's begin breaking down my favourite frames from the film that encapsulate what I think are some of the pivotal points of importance in the story.

Let's get started!

This shot that introduces the main hero in the film, the agent who sends the woman away to spy on the Nazi's. He is not only blacked out, but facing the wrong way. He has such a strong presence in the frame that we don't need to. He isn't socialising and he doesn't belong there. He is observing and nothing more.

 This shot is a very unique one in that it is a complete spiral turn from right side up to upside down. The POV of the woman who is hung over and spinning around in her bed. It also shows how he is going to turn her life on it's head and put her in an alien situation.

 As the man walks towards her from being blacked out, the camera twirls and spins to this medium close up, upside down shot. Not only is this reflecting what he will do to her but the impact she will have on him. Every main character will have their world tested and destroyed to make way for the new one.

The light coming from the sun making blind shapes on him and the blinds themselves act as a visual light prison as he’s powerless to say or do what he really wants to. The obligation of duty over emotional need is so obvious here as he can't even look at them whole they discuss her fate. He is also ashamed of himself.

Conversation behind the door is shown simply with a shot of the door. This is her POV, shows her lack of knowledge of what’s going on and keeps the audience guessing. Hitchcock used to love messing with the audience perception of things, it makes us question and guess and use our imagination. That is the magic in film suggestion.

Wonderfully composed shot as he’s back lit to just show his face while his image is reflected in the mirror behind him. This is like he’s coming to terms with a version of himself from within. He has realised his weakness and is enlightened to the betrayal happening before him. A part of himself has died, he is reborn and a new man.

The girl who is lit and the man  who is silhouetted makes for a high contrast dynamic shot. It’s like he’s a figure of darkness come to rescue the innocent pure woman. From the darkness of his turmoil, our hero risks it all to rescue the innocent woman from the clutched of evil. How we see her here, is how he sees her.

The villain taking his last steps alive up the steps to his doom in the hands of the 2 men at the top of the stairs. We know from the story and the framing that that doorway is his last walk before death. He has sinned and plotted to kill the love of our hero, he must die. The sense of justice is fulfilled and the balance restored. 

The thing I really like about this film and Hitchcock films in general, is that they interact with the audience. If it's killing off the main character half way through Psycho or conducting scenes we can't see, he enjoys making the audience think and experience new things. I really like the theme of this movie, the choice of duty over humanity and the sacrifices of love. A must see, absolutely must see. Do it!