Devoted fans of the stars and of Alfred Hitchcock will want to see Torn Curtain, others might want to for curiosity's sake. The ride and Newman and Andrews take on a bus from Leipzig to East Berlin that is stage managed by David Opatoshu is ripped off from Saboteur and the bus passengers are just like the circus people in Saboteur. He's a very tough and shrewd adversary who catches on to Newman's scheme and has to be eliminated. Funny how during World War II, Germans were sometimes shown as colossally stupid, Kieling is not. The agent is played by German actor Wolfgang Kieling and has the best role in the film. The highlight easily has to be the killing of an East German security agent by Newman and Carolyn Conwell with the creative use of a gas stove.
There are some good moments in Torn Curtain. I suppose Newman also wanted to work with Hitchcock. I suppose she couldn't turn down a chance to appear in a Hitchcock film, but she and Newman really have no chemistry at all. At the time this was made Julie Andrews was fresh from Mary Poppins and had all kinds of roles offered her. His last three films were done with second rank players. This was Alfred Hitchcock's last star vehicle. It would have run so much easier without her, but then again there would have been no film. Nice plan, except for that fact that intrepid Julie Andrews, Newman's fiancé suspects something's up and follows him first to Copenhagen and then East Berlin. The trick is to make Donath write it down. As he says to agent Mort Mills, he's one of the few people in the world who would know exactly what to look for.
He's to fake a defection in order to get close to East German scientist Ludwig Donath and find out what advances he personally has given the Soviet bloc. Paul Newman nuclear physicist has volunteered for an unusual espionage mission. The character of the old professor was fantastic, especially in the scene at the chalk-board, LOL!! I think this is a fine Hitchcock film that any Hitchcock lover shouldn't miss! It should have also received higher ratings! She didn't need a leading role to be effective or memorable.
#Curtain call movie imdb professional#
One may think 'What a pansy', but I don't believe that most men are created to be like a James Bond character, or a professional hit-man. You could tell he was thinking it was all too surreal - and due to his incapacitation, the poor farm wife had to do most of the work. They're characters were played in a very honest and realistic manner, especially the scene in the farmhouse, where you can see that Newman's character, being involved in a situation where a man needed to be 'silenced', was in shock and didn't quite know what to do. Newman was good at playing the typical American man - silent and brooding when in a very concerning situation. Andrews did a superb job playing the completely confused, emotionally injured, and betrayed woman. I think it was all the above, however, it was still a very good movie. Maybe it was the odd combination of Andrews and Newman together. Maybe it was just simply odd to see Newman in such a film. Maybe it was just simply odd to see Andrews in such a film. I'm not sure what made this Hitchcock thriller seem so different from his other classics. Her spotting Newman at the theater was one of the highlights of this minor Hitchkock film. I also enjoyed Tamara Toumanova in her funny self parody. Lila Kedrova chew the scenery but you didn't forget her and in "Torn Courtain" you were grateful for someone chewing something.
I love actresses and actors who chew the scenery but are believable, moving, entertaining, hysterically funny.Bette Davis, Charles Laughton, Geraldine Page, Kim Stanley. Over the top? Of course she was over the top, brilliantly. I can't believe the ones who accused her of being over the top. Julie Andrews seems bewildered and whatever little she's ask to do it's way beneath her. Paul Newman seems in a hurry to get the hell out of there - no pun intended. As if the master was tired or uninterested. There is a detachment here never seen before in a Hitch flick. In fact Hitch and Herrmann broke off their successful marriage during this production. Paul Newman and Julie Andrews have the sexual chemistry of two white slices of bread and Hitchcock didn't have Bernard Herrman at his side. Two huge box office stars, Paul Newman and Julie Andrews with Hitchcock no less, at the helm. It may have sounded like a perfect commercial operation.
0 kommentar(er)
