Still holds the interest but not top-notch Hitchcock...

Rating: Null/10 (1 December 2003)

Perhaps with a stronger pair of stars SABOTEUR might have turned out to be a more impressive film than it actually is. ROBERT CUMMINGS, affable and pleasant as always, has to carry the film as a man on the lam fleeing the authorities because he's suspected of having blown up a munitions factory. He's a basically lightweight actor at his element in light romantic comedies--not in espionage films--and seems a strange choice for this role. Where is Joel McCrea or Gary Cooper when you need him?
Likewise, Priscilla Lane, with her bubbly girl next door personality is not quite the type of blonde Hitchcock picked for his leading lady roles--and frankly, she's rather bland here and merely decorative.
But the supporting cast is a good one--especially Otto Kruger as a blind man--and once the plot gets going, they all come in for closer inspection. The villain of the piece--played expertly by Norman Lloyd--is given scant screen time but he manages to make an impression nevertheless, especially in the famous Statue of Liberty finale.
The story comes to a rather abrupt ending after a slow start and there are some moments in the middle that seem to drag. The pace is slower than usual for a Hitchcock film and today's audiences are more apt to expect the kind of thrills Hitch offered for his other more famous "man on the lam" story--NORTH BY NORTHWEST.
SABOTEUR has its fair share of gripping moments so it's still worth a watch--but don't expect too much. It's all a bit dated now and it's not top Hitchcock.