After Alicia Huberman's father is jailed for being a Nazi agent shortly after the war she is approached by government agent T. R. Devlin who wants her to help uncover a Nazi cell in Rio de Janeiro. She isn't keen at first but he manages to persuade her; not only that by the time they get to Rio it is clear that they both have feelings for each other. Once there Devlin learns more details of the operation; the cell is led by Alex Sebastian, a friend of Alicia's father who clearly fancied her in the past. She is to meet him again, seduce him if necessary and find the identities of his associates and details of what they are doing. She agrees but is clearly a bit disappointed and assumes he must have just pretended to be in love to recruit her; he in turn is upset that she didn't refuse and assumes she doesn't truly love him. The operation goes ahead and Alicia does indeed get close to her target; so close that he proposes. She still isn't totally trusted though; Alex's mother never trusted her and keeps a keen eye on her. As she learns more the danger only increases; will Devlin be able to save her or will he even want to?
This classic from director Alfred Hitchcock is a fine mix of romance and thrills. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman have a great chemistry as Devlin and Alicia; it is easy to believe their characters really are in love. Claude Rains also impresses as Alex Sebastian; rather than the stereotypical 'evil Nazi' he is a largely sympathetic character which makes him more plausible. Both the romance and the thriller elements work very well; things get particularly tense as the film approached its finale. There is no real violence on screen but the threat is definitely real; there is a sense of helplessness when Alicia is exposed. Overall this is definitely worth watching if you enjoy classic cinema.
This classic from director Alfred Hitchcock is a fine mix of romance and thrills. Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman have a great chemistry as Devlin and Alicia; it is easy to believe their characters really are in love. Claude Rains also impresses as Alex Sebastian; rather than the stereotypical 'evil Nazi' he is a largely sympathetic character which makes him more plausible. Both the romance and the thriller elements work very well; things get particularly tense as the film approached its finale. There is no real violence on screen but the threat is definitely real; there is a sense of helplessness when Alicia is exposed. Overall this is definitely worth watching if you enjoy classic cinema.