Flawed, but Entertaining.

Rating: 8/10 (1 May 2009)

Alfred Hitchcock's "Saboteur" (1942) (not to be confused with another Hitchcock film, "Sabotage" made in 1936 which has a completely different plot) is not the Master of Suspense greatest film. It dose not have the depth of "Vertigo" (1958) nor the brooding atmosphere of "Rebbeca" (1940) and it certainly dose not have the emotional impact and acting talent that can be found in "Notorious" (1946), but what it dose have is thrills, adventure and a nail biting climax. The two leads, admittedly, are quite weak. It is easy to understand why Hitchcock wanted Gary Cooper for the Robert Cummings role and Barbara Stanwyck for the role that was taken by Priscilla Lane. Also, the patriotic speeches that Cuumming says (that were written by Dorothy Parker) have dated badly, and the encounter with circus troupe is poorly done (the beard on the bearded lady is clearly false). However, the last half hour is edge-of-your-seat viewing, the climax atop the Stature of Liberty is very well done, and the film is a clear predecessor of "North By Northwest" (1959). The two villains, Otto Kruger and Norman Lloyd are very good and the beginning fire at the Aircraft Factory is a superb sequence. This not the best film Hitch made, but it is surly one of his most entertaining.