The wind blows one way but the windmill turns another.  To a group of Fifth Columnists, it’s a signal.  It also signals to an intrepid American reporter that he’s stumbled across the biggest story in prewar Europe.

CRITIQUE

Alfred Hitchcock spent his early career in his native England, where he made roughly 30 films before coming to America in 1939, under contract to legendary producer David O. Selznick.  His first film in the States was the gothic Rebecca, and Foreign Correspondent was his second, much more in line with the kind of filmmaking for which he would come to be known.  While not one of Hitchcock’s better known films, it is certainly one of the more important in the director’s cinematic canon.

Johnny Jones (Joel McCrea) is an America reporter, chosen by his editor to travel to Europe to cover the prewar situation there.  Johnny has never been to Europe, knows little about the continent beyond the general stereotypes, and he has no opinion about the political situation there.  It is exactly for all those reasons that he is chosen for the task.  In Jones, McCrea creates a wisecracking, streetwise reporter, who makes up for in common sense what he lacks in political savvy.  Johnny could just as easily be found in a fast talking newsroom drama like His Girl Friday as a Hitchcock political thriller.

Hitchcock does a masterful job of creating the confusion of prewar Europe.  The film was probably not hurt from the fact that its director had just come from that environment.  The people Johnny meets in Europe do not know whether there is going to be a war or not any more than Johnny does.  The possibility exists, but there is also the feeling that wise thinking and cooler heads will prevail.  One must remember that at the time the film takes place, and at the time it was made, whether or not there was going to be a war was still seen as a European problem, and not something that would involve America.  The threat of war hangs over the film, and outcome of the plot could push the situation in either direction.  This is not to say the film is without levity.  One of the things Hitch was so great at was finding comedy in intensely suspenseful, dramatic situations.  The comic relief in Foreign Correspondent is subtle, matching the director’s droll sense of humor.  Much of the humor comes from Robert Benchley, who plays Stebbins, one of Johnny’s contacts when he arrives in Holland.  McCrea also has his share of humorous moments, and he plays them well, with a delivery that feels natural.

The films of Alfred Hitchcock are riddled with brilliant set pieces – the shower in Psycho, the Statue of Liberty in Saboteur, Mt. Rushmore in North by Northwest.  Foreign Correspondent is no exception to this.  There are several great pieces in the film, from the steps outside the peace conference to the windmills to the climatic plane crash, Hitchcock was a master at creating an environment that would pose constant peril to the characters.  The suspense in the film is incredibly nuanced, particularly in the way the villain is revealed.  Herbert Marshall plays the villain, and unlike some of Hitchcock’s other villains, we do not know right away that he is behind the plot.  We like him at first, and it seems like he is trying to ensure peace on the continent.  The development and revelation of his character is one of the film’s strongest points.

The themes that would come to dominate Hitchcock’s films are present here, though perhaps not as fully realized as they would later be.  There is the assumed identity (Johnny takes a new name when he arrives in Holland), and the fact that Hitchcock’s characters find themselves in the midst of these situations completely at random (Johnny is chosen randomly by his editor).  The film ends with the bombing of London, and Johnny reporting by radio to the United States.  This scene has been used in various montages over the years, and it holds up well.  Not only is it just the right note to end the film on, but it also brings Johnny’s character full circle.  From beginning to end, Foreign Correspondent is solid filmmaking.

THE VIDEO

Foreign Correspondent is presented in the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio.  The black and white photography comes through perfectly, and the overall picture looks better than it has in years.

THE AUDIO

The film is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 mono.  The presentation is sharp, with all levels well represented.

THE EXTRAS

Personal History: Foreign Hitchcock: a new making-of featurette that details the making of the film from its original inception to its release.  A very detailed look at the film, and they do well creating the background under which the film was made.  (35:00)

Theatrical trailer: the original theatrical trailer.

FINAL THOUGHTS

A little known early masterpiece from the master of suspense, this film is a classic, and the bonus material goes into great detail explaining the making of the film.  A must for fans of Hitchcock, suspense, or just good cinema.