The film Saboteur, is not one of many of Hitchcock's classics.Then why wasn't this film successful? There is a very simple reason.The film is one man, Barry Kane, trying to prove his innocence- of two things. He is proud of his country and this is a point touched upon greatly by the film. "But their casual presentation of the FBI as a bunch of bungling dolts, their general disregard of authorized agents and their slur on the navy yard police somewhat vitiates the patriotic implications which they have tried to emphasize in the film. One gathers that the nation's safety depends entirely on civilian amateurs."We got to see the effect of it, which was World War II. This film wasn't very Hitchcockian in it's main actor's abilities." However, the film's lead performances, typically a Hitchcock strength, never match the quality of the supporting cast. Robert Cummings, in particular,lends little finesse to his two-dimensional do-gooder and renders much his more important dialogue ineffective." The acting usually makes the characters more sympathetic to the viewer. Another not so Hitchcockian thing was the writing of the film itself.It can be seen in other films, like Dial M for Murder, when Bruno is chasing the lady he kills.The film's plot wasn't exactly far fetched. The film has some things in common with historical events.Due to all of these reasons and more, this film was scene to be somewhat of a critical failure.
Saboteur Film Analysis.
The film Saboteur, is not one of many of Hitchcock's classics. It is considered, by many to be a failure critically. (It did fine financially.) It is another classic Hitchcock spy movie. So, then why wasn't this film successful? There is a very simple reason. This film is a reaction to the current events going on at the time of it's production, such as the Pearl Harbor bombing, feelings of nationalism, and the rise of fascism. The film is one man, Barry Kane, trying to prove his innocence- of two things.
