Topaz (1969, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)

Topaz (1969, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)

What Is It?: A lightly regarded espionage thriller from late in Hitchcock's career about the intelligence machinations behind the Cuban Missile Crisis.

What About It?: A filmed adaptation of the Leon Uris novel, this feels like Hitch's foray into realist-based spy stuff, as though he got caught by the Le Carre bug in the wake of The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. Certainly no shame in that, though by all accounts, Hitchcock's heart wasn't in this one after his sad break up with Bernard Hermann and various budgetary fights with Universal over his last few films. His next film, Frenzy, tends to get all of the revisionist attention -- and we have no truck with that endeavor -- but we think there is much to love about Topaz. It's overlong by half, with an atypically bloated screenplay and far too much expositionary talk going on, but he managed to fit in some fine set pieces and beautiful shots as he put his signature on this as well. The murder of Juanita, oft-cited, is amazing, as is the silently shot bribing of the Cuban functionary. Even the defection scene opening the film is riveting stuff.

Why Should I See It?: If you love spy movies or Hitchcock, this will be right up your alley. The wheat isn't separated from the chaff as much as it should be, perhaps, but it's still finely crafted cinema, heartily recommended by the Lost Classic.

What Else Is It Like?: The Day of the Jackal, Black Sunday, The Looking Glass War.

When Is It Showing ON DEMAND Until?: 10/26/06

Watch It ON DEMAND on Comcast Cable.

-- ddt/pdx