Strong character study not marred by "one-set" constrictions.

Rating: 8/10 (9 January 2006)

This has been a difficult-to-see Hitchcock for many years, and I finally caught up with it on the new DVD issue. I was pleasantly surprised that the agenda is first to have compelling characters in interesting situations, and the whole "microcosm in a lifeboat" clichés are kept to an absolute minimum.
Yes, Hitchcock knows he doesn't need to preach - he can slip in the messages between the cracks. Supposedly he jettisoned Steinbeck's original treatment because it was too propagandistic. I really enjoyed the slow reveals of Willy the Nazi's skills and plans, and the interesting character turns the supposedly "socialist" Kovac shows (becoming enamored with Connie's bracelet, and then with the rich (and strange?) Connie herself).
Best of all is the emphasis on Connie's arc, and how the glamorous Tallulah Bankhead loses everything along the way, but gains confidence in her beliefs.
For being a "one-set" film, it was surprisingly open and visually interesting. It was never didactic, boring, or static. The ending, as well, which has drawn some criticism, neatly conveyed irony, patriotic and moral issues elegantly and ambiguously. No over-the-head propaganda here.
Very fun and tightly done film.