Foreign Correspondent (1940)

"I'm in love with a girl, and I'm going to help hang her father.", 18 July 2006

Several weeks ago, I decided to give some of the older, less well known Hitchcock films a try. So far, this has been mostly a pleasant experience and has introduced me to several new favorites. Foreign Correspondent may not be the best of the early Hitchcock offerings I've watched recently, but it's still a very solid film. It's the story of a reporter from New York sent to cover the events as Europe stands on the threshold of war. He's soon mixed up in a plot to kidnap the one man who may be able to put a stop to things. But who can he trust? It doesn't help matters that the woman he has fallen in love with seems to be at the center of his investigation.

The biggest flaw in Foreign Correspondent that I see is the length of time it takes to really get into things. The opening scenes are nicely shot, but they're not that interesting. It takes a while for the movie to grab you and pull you in. But once things start happening, it's non-stop action and intrigue. Foreign Correspondent rarely pauses for you to take a breath. Before you know it, you're on to the next scene of increasing suspense. While it's fairly easy to spot the man behind the plot to start war, it's interesting to watch the way Hitchcock allows the events to unfold. Characters do not jump to wild conclusions but work toward them gathering evidence along the way. It's a nice job of storytelling.

Joel McCrea is billed as the film's star. And while he's okay, I doubt very sincerely that he would have been able to pull off a film like Foreign Correspondent without a superb supporting cast. I've made no secret about enjoying George Sanders in just about every role I've ever seen him in. He's as good in Foreign Correspondent as ever. The man makes every scene he's in better. The rest of the cast is just as solid with Herbert Marshall being another standout.

It's been a joy to discover these films for the first time. If movies like Foreign Correspondent are any indication of things to come, I'm looking forward to continuing my journey through Hitchcock's filmography. Next up: The Lady Vanishes.

8/10