Movie of the Week – Torn Curtain

This week’s movie: Torn Curtain (1966).

The thriller is about Michael Armstrong, an American scientist who publically defects to East Germany, much to the shock of girlfriend Sarah. She goes against his wishes and defects too. However, when it is safe, Michael reveals to her that he is really on a covert mission to learn a secret from an East German professor. The problem is how will he get them both safely back to the West when she was never part of the plan?

The film is directed by Alfred Hitchcock, who worked with a mostly new group of collaborators, including: composer John Addison (Bernard Herrmann originally wrote the score, but Universal Pictures convinced Hitchcock that he needed a more upbeat piece causing Hitchcock and Herrmann to have a major disagreement, and they never worked together again), cinematographer John Warren, and the great production designer Hein Heckroth (this was his last feature).

Paul Newman, who constantly fought with Hitchcock over creative differences regarding his performance and acting style, and Julie Andrews, who was just coming off her breakout hits Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music, star. However, Hitchcock originally wanted Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint, but the studio felt that they were both too old.

Torn Curtain was a hit when it came out in 1966, fitting the Cold War hysteria of the times – it was one of Universal’s highest grossing films for the year – but has since been deemed as one of Hitchcock’s weaker films. Certainly, it is not among his best work, but it is still a great thriller and features some of his best scenes of suspense, particularly the scene in with Armstrong finds himself in trouble at the farm house (it is absolutely spellbindingly brilliant). It is a must-see for fans of Hitchcock’s work as it does feature many redeeming qualities.

Trailer: Here

Available on: Blu-ray and Streaming

Movie of the Week - The Sound of Music

This week’s movie is The Sound of Music (1965).

The film is about a young woman who leaves an Austrian convent and becomes the governess to a naval officer widower. The family becomes attached to her, and she to them, but they are all caught up in the conflict of Nazi rule in Austria and must find a way to escape (all while singing about this and that). The film is based on the musical stage production by Oscar Hammerstein and Richard Rodgers (based on the book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse). Robert Wise, who also directed The Day the Earth Stood Still and West Side Story, helmed the project, having experience with both musicals and large productions. Screenwriter Ernest Lehman (who wrote a number of very good films) was also hired on due to his prior work with Wise and success with musicals in the past. Production designer Boris Leven and composer Irwin Kostal also, along with Lehman, worked with Wise on West Side Story (winner of ten Oscars including Best Picture) and 20^th Century Fox wanted the same team in place for their next big musical production (as they were the thing in the early 60’s). The film stars Julie Andrews who was just coming off a number of hit stage musicals (including The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady) and her breakout, Oscar winning, film role in Mary Poppins. Christopher Plummer co-stars. What makes the movie great is Andrews and the wonderful songs by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Wise also shoots the film with wonderful craning shots and gives such a sense of beauty to both the characters and the world they inhabit. The commentary on and struggle with the Nazis gives the film an added depth and historical context as well. This is a must of fans of musicals and film. Check out the trailer.

The Sound of Music (Blu-ray/DVD)