In 1946 the director and “Master of Suspense” Alfred Hitchcock published a film named Notorious. The plot of this film is said to be about “a compelling spy mission interwoven with a romantic love story”. Hitchcock comments on the idea of his film as follows: “In Notorious geht es einfach um einen Mann, der verliebt ist in eine Frau, die in offiziellem Auftrag mit einem anderen Mann geschlafen hat und gezwungen wurde, ihn zu heiraten.” Concluding from his statement Hitchcock’s most important issue was to realize the love story between the two protagonists Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman) and T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant). In fact the struggle of Alicia and Devlin, who are meant to be the heroic figures, is running like a central thread through the film until they are finally able to come together in the end. In the following analysis of the film Notorious from 1946 will be discussed how this struggle affects and changes both characters and their relationship to each other.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Alicia Huberman
2.1 Alicia’s Two-sided Personality – Appearances are Deceptive
2.2 The Influence of her Father’s Past
2.3 The New Miss Huberman
3. T.R. Devlin
3.1 T.R. Devlin – a Professional Spy
3.2 Duty versus Love - Devlin and Women
4. The Relationship of Alicia and Devlin – Love and Rejection
4.1 Their First Meeting
4.2 Alicia’s Assignment as a Spy – between Job and Private Matters
4.3 The Love Triangle Devlin - Alicia - Sebastian
4.3.1 Alicia’s Point of View
4.3.2 Devlin’s Point of View
4.3.3 Sebastian’s Point of View
4.4 The Situation Collapses – The Interference of Sebastian’s Mother
4.5 The Rescue of Alicia – A Final Confirmation of Devlin’s Love?
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives & Core Topics
This paper examines the complex romantic relationship between the protagonists Alicia Huberman and T.R. Devlin in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1946 film "Notorious," analyzing how their personal development and professional obligations as spies create friction and eventually lead to their emotional reconciliation.
- The duality of Alicia Huberman’s public persona versus her private identity.
- Devlin’s internal conflict between professional duty and personal emotional repression.
- The dynamics of the love triangle involving Alex Sebastian.
- The influence of patriarchal societal expectations on the protagonists' behavior.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Alicia’s Assignment as a Spy – between Job and Private Matters
Although the kind of their relationship is still unclear, Alicia flies with Devlin to Rio de Janeiro. She tries to explain Devlin’s situation as follows: ”You’re sore because you’re falling for a little drunk you’ve taken in Miami and you don’t like it. It makes you sick all over, doesn’t it? People will laugh at you. The invincible Devlin, in love with someone who isn’t worth even wasting the words on. Poor Dev, in love with a no-good gal. It must be awful. I’m sorry.”48. Surprisingly Alicia and Devlin fall in love to each other, which is celebrated by Hitchcock in the famous three-minute kiss scene. In the 1940s a code in Hollywood provided that a kiss in a film had to last not longer than three seconds. This code is infiltrated by Hitchcock in this scene as the characters are kissing each other a couple of times only for three seconds, but hugging for about three minutes. With this technique the tension and connection of the two characters lasts for these three minutes, though Devlin and Alicia do not kiss uninterrupted 49. The characters are having a conversation about their dinner and Devlin phones the hotel for messages while they are kissing, which contradicts to the situation they are in. Normal couples, especially when they are in love, would not talk about cooking and telephone while they are kissing or something is definitely going wrong. Though both seem to enjoy it, this conversation is an example that they aren’t able to draw a borderline between their job and private matters50.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Presents the film "Notorious" as a narrative focused on the struggle between protagonists Alicia Huberman and T.R. Devlin within a spy thriller context.
2. Alicia Huberman: Discusses Alicia’s complex personality, the impact of her father’s criminal past, and her transition from a "playgirl" to a dedicated operative.
3. T.R. Devlin: Analyzes the character of Devlin, his professional persona as a spy, and his difficulty in reconciling his duty with his growing love for Alicia.
4. The Relationship of Alicia and Devlin – Love and Rejection: Explores the turbulent progression of the couple’s relationship, including the interference of the love triangle and societal expectations.
5. Conclusion: Summarizes the thematic resolution of the film, noting that the characters undergo significant personal change to finally achieve a romantic union.
Keywords
Alfred Hitchcock, Notorious, Alicia Huberman, T.R. Devlin, Alex Sebastian, espionage, love triangle, gender roles, patriarchy, professional duty, emotional repression, cinema analysis, suspense, 1940s film.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper focuses on the evolving romantic relationship between Alicia Huberman and T.R. Devlin in Alfred Hitchcock’s "Notorious," exploring how their work as spies influences their emotional bond.
What are the central themes discussed?
The central themes include the conflict between love and duty, the influence of patriarchal societal norms, emotional repression, and the internal growth of the two lead characters.
What is the main research question?
The paper explores how the struggle between love and professional duty affects and changes both characters throughout the film.
Which methodology is applied in the paper?
The author uses film analysis, incorporating academic references and interpretations of Hitchcock’s stylistic techniques, to evaluate character development and social context.
What does the main body cover?
The main body details the individual character arcs of Alicia and Devlin, the dynamics of the love triangle with Alex Sebastian, and the eventual rescue and reconciliation of the couple.
Which keywords best describe this study?
Key terms include Hitchcock, Notorious, espionage, love triangle, patriarchy, character development, and romantic tension.
How does the father-daughter relationship impact Alicia’s character?
The betrayal by her father causes Alicia to lack self-respect and contributes to her self-destructive, "notorious" behavior in the early part of the film.
What role does the "three-minute kiss" scene play?
It acts as a stylistic rebellion against 1940s Hollywood censorship codes and serves to illustrate the inability of the characters to separate their professional duties from their personal desires.
Why is Devlin’s behavior often interpreted as cold?
Devlin fears that expressing love would be "unmanly" and would jeopardize his professional role; he masks his feelings behind sarcasm and an icy demeanor.
What happens at the end of the film regarding the couple?
The film ends on an open note regarding their future, but suggests that the removal of external pressures and the verbal confession of their love enable them to finally be together.
- Citation du texte
- Anne-Mareike Franz (Auteur), 2005, Alfred Hitchcock: Notorious, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/129066
