Il prigioniero di Amsterdam

Reporter Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea), used to working the streets of New York, is sent overseas as a foreign correspondent. His first assignment is to get an interview with a diplomat negotiating peace to prevent war. When the diplomat is assassinated right in front of him, Jones sets off after the killer and finds himself embroiled in an international conspiracy plot.

Exciting thriller from the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. One of his best films from the '40s. McCrea is wonderful and the cast backing him up is first-rate. George Sanders, Herbert Marshall, Robert Benchley, Albert Bassermann, Edmund Gwenn, and so on. High quality actors all who never give bad turns. Also female lead Laraine Day in her biggest and best role outside of the Dr. Kildare series. She's great in this and it makes you wonder if she couldn't have been a bigger star had MGM used her for more than Kildare's love interest.

The plot may be a bit complicated for some but you get lost in it and don't quibble with the particulars until after it's over. If you're like me, by then you won't care since you enjoyed the film so much. There's some good action and memorable set pieces, like many of the best Hitchock thrillers have. The script keeps things light despite the dark tone of the plot. It's a classic in every way, thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end. One of the best WW2 films made before America had entered the war and Hollywood started churning them out one after another.

Though a bit preachy (WWII was about to start) and overlong (2-hours), the movie's still a gripping Hitchcock, only his second in the US. That windmill sequence has stayed with me for sixty years. How clever the entire set-up is, not quite like anything else I've seen. Notice especially the excellence of the exterior set—the sky, the windmills— these visuals are exceptional for a sound stage creation.

Then too, I love the way Hitch builds suspense in the tower scene with all the untimely intrusions. Still it's difficult to see Santa from Miracle on 34th Street (1947) as a heartless killer. Then too, there's that pure Hichcockian assassination scene with the umbrellas and the unflinching camera as the bullet strikes Van Meer's face. And finally, the cockpit crash scene that's still jarring. Thanks IMDb for explaining how it was done. For its time, the unswerving camera as the plane strikes water was both daring and imaginative.

To me, these are exceptional dramatic highlights. On the whole the narrative is engaging as we follow efforts to locate the real Van Meer, while the romantic angle is woven cleverly into the plot without being obtrusive. And for a political movie of the time, note that the term Nazi is not used even once. The narrative manages to keep the sinister nationality of the plotters anonymous, but we know who is meant.

Note too how animated the usually reserved George Sanders is in his scenes. It's almost a problem since he overshadows the quieter hero, Joel McCrea. True McCrea is a little palid in his role as a reporter, still he comes across as appropriately likable and assertive when necessary, as in the hidden phone sequence.

Nonetheless, the movie's a worthy entry in the Master of Suspense's film catalog and if it's not as well known as many of his other 40's movies, it should be.

The first half hour of Hitchcock's "Foreign Correspondent" looks like it can either be a light romantic comedy or a oddly fashioned drama about current events. But then, there's this scene in the rain, where our hero, played with energy by Joel McCrea, attends a crowded political meeting. McCrea notices his new friend, an elderly ambassador acts vacant and glassy eyed. Then, this mysterious photographer steps in. The photographer has next to his camera, a gun.... At this point "Foreign Correspondent" becomes an inventive chase thriller, darting across the audiences' eyes at a berserk chase. This was the first time that Hitchcock had all of Hollywood's tools at his disposal, and what a spellbinding, constantly fun classic came of it. I look forward to this film making it's DVD debut!

This film is a true gem, that had all of the touches we have come to associate with films of the master. While "Rebecca" (from the same year) may have garnered more recognition, it was an extremely brooding film that lacked the trademark Hitchcock sense of humor.

"Foreign Correspondent" however, had it all. The suspense is unrelenting, building to a spectacular climax. It had many of those dazzling Hitchcock sequences: the assassination in Amsterdam, the scene in the cathedral tower and, especially, the sequence in the windmill, which is pure magic!

Of course, it also had that classic sense of humor and a slew of terrific character roles, including Edmund Gwenn as the most cherubic and cheerful hit man you've ever seen! The final scene was strictly American propaganda, but that can probably be forgiven considering the subject matter of the film and the time of it's release.

All in all, a wonderful example of the master at his best, that deserves to be dusted off and enjoyed alongside some of it's more celebrated cousins!

What a movie!

I literally could not believe how great this movie was once I'd seen it for the first time. After a short intro we are thrust directly into the action and from there on in, it's one thrilling set-piece after another.

We go from kidnapping to assassination, to car chase, to discovery of plot, to escape from a hotel, to a twist regarding the leader of the enemy, to a wonderful sequence with a hired bodyguard who is in fact an assassin, to a fake kidnapping set up by the heroes, to torture scene, to rescue, to plane crash at sea...

It's dizzying that this was all intended for one film and when the end credits rolled you really felt like you'd got your money's worth. If I'd have watched this movie when it came out in the forties, I would have praised Hitchcock all night for giving me ten superb movies in one for my dollar.

In short (although you can hardly call these ramblings short) check this movie out. If you're a fan of escapist, thrilling adventures populated by superb characters (see George Sanders as ffolliot, and Robert Benchley as Stebbins) you will be delighted. This is one of Hitch's lesser seen gems and deserves to be rediscovered without delay