Rich and Rewarding Hitchcock with Many Pristine Set Pieces

Rating: 9/10 (2 December 2014)

Underrated Hitchcock Propaganda Piece that has Many Stunning Sequences and a Few that Don't Quite Work. It is Entertaining and Enjoyable with a Good Deal of Suspense Amidst the Shenanigans.
Robert Cummings is Much Better Here than in His Later Role for Hitch in Dial M for Murder (1954) and Priscilla Lane is Bland but OK. It is the Slimy Villains that Shine. Otto Krueger is On His Game as a Snooty Traitor that Can't Abide Americans that He Calls Stupid. Norman Lloyd is Also Remarkable as Frank Fry the True Saboteur.
The Fantastic Opening from the Credits to the Blazing Act of the Title are Prime Hitchcock and Ultra-Stylish. The Soda City Scenes are Ominous and Introduce Another Great Villain, Alan Baxter as an Effeminate Baddie that Likes to Dress His Youngest Son in Girls Clothes and Never Cuts His Hair, because His Mother did the Same. That is Pure Freudian Hitchcock and the Scene Tingles.
The Circus Caravan is Also Offbeat as is the Scene with the Blind Man. They Echo Freaks (1931) and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935), as Hitch Pays Homage to Two Great American Films. The Scene that Works the Least is the Clunky Movie Theatre Thing where Patrons are Yucking it Up as a Gangster Sprays Bullets Everywhere. The Scene Seems Awkward and is Completely Goofy.
The Shipyard and the Statue of Liberty Pieces are as Good as the Opening and Highlight the Movie Along with a Fast Pace. One Can Overlook the 1942 Speechifying Rallying the Citizens. Mention Should Also be Given to the Words About the Rich and Respectable Class that are Given a Pass Because of Their Status in Society.
Barry Kane States this More than Once and it is a Profound Warning and a Nod to an American Ideal, Not Always Adhered to, that Everyone is Equally Innocent Under the Law. The Film is Rich Enough with This Type of Thing and the Craftsmanship is So Pristine that its Flaws Can be Forgiven.