Alfred Hitchcock's second foray into Hollywood, ``Foreign Correspondent,'' is unusually entertaining.

*This article touches on the core of the story, so we recommend reading it after watching the movie.

“Foreign Correspondent” Synopsis

Just before World War II, Europe was in dire straits. American reporter Johnny attempts to interview Dutch politician Van Meer, but he is suddenly assassinated in front of the Peace Conference Center in Amsterdam. Johnny chases after the culprit and finds Van Meer trapped in a windmill. The person who was killed was a substitute, and the whole thing was a conspiracy orchestrated by the Nazis. Johnny returns to London and tries to solve the Van Meer kidnapping case with peace activist Fisher's daughter Carol, but it turns out that Fisher was actually the mastermind behind the incident.

Index

• Thrillers were considered B grade in Hollywood at the time.
• Superb suspense set against the backdrop of the world situation immediately after the outbreak of war.
• Three scenes incorporating innovative ideas and methods
• Was Nazi Propaganda Minister Goebbels' favorite movie?

Thrillers were considered B grade in Hollywood at the time.

The title may not be as well known compared to super famous works such as `` Vertigo '' (58) and `` Psycho '' (60). However, its quality is guaranteed, and it can be said that it is a work that boasts unwavering popularity among fans. It doesn't require any specialized knowledge, and once you start watching it, it captivates everyone. That is what this ``Foreign Correspondent'' (40) is all about. Even as a newbie to Hitchcock, who has watched each film one by one, I was deeply shocked by how unusually interesting this film was.

This film is Hitchcock's second directorial work after moving from England to Hollywood.

As usual, when I read the book `` Teihon Eigajutsu '' (Shobunsha) as a companion to watching Hitchcock movies, the first thing I found was that it described the ``differences'' between British and American film production at the time. In this book, written in the form of a conversation between Hitchcock and Truffaut, the two discuss how The Foreign Correspondent was made as a B-movie. Hitchcock's words can be summarized as follows.

“Foreign Correspondent” preview

``In England, adventure novels and thriller novels are a respectable genre of literature.However, in America, the situation is different.They are treated as completely second-rate.When they become movies, they are treated even further as low-level entertainment.'' ”

Therefore, he also faced challenges in terms of casting. When the script was completed, Gary Cooper was the first to be asked to star in the role, but he was rejected on the grounds that he would not appear in a thriller. However, looking at the results, this work caused a great response both in name and reality, and became a work that will leave its name in history. Much later, Hitchcock said, Cooper told him that he had made a mistake in turning down that offer.

Superb suspense set against the backdrop of the world situation immediately after the outbreak of war.