MovieChat Forums > Topaz (1969) Discussion > there is no way round it,it is a poor fi...

there is no way round it,it is a poor film(no spoilers)

posted 15 years ago by ib011f9545i
8 replies | jump to latest

I like Hitchcock films,I like spy films but the dvd of this cost me £3 and I don't think I got a bargain.

I had seen this on tv years ago and now I am reminded why it is hardly ever on on screens,it is a poor film.

Most Hitchcock fans like THE BIRDS,PSYCHO and VERTIGO,I don't like these films.
TORN CURTAIN is flawed but is is a classic compared to TOPAZ.

I think his best work had been done by the early 1960s but would love to hear from people who are willing to defend his later output.

It always amazes me when people say they are HITCHCOCK fans but have never seen FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT.

[–] rexshard93 15 years ago

Topaz is a film that would have been better if Hitchcock had enough time to work on the script properly. But there are some strong performances especially from John Vernon, Roscoe Lee Browne, and Karin Dor. Foreign Correspondent is a great film. But many people try to ignore it. I don't know why.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] Rvrgm 13 years ago

Hitchcock loved planning and executing unique shots and sequences. That's why, even in his films with less impressive scripts or actors, the visual style is still excellent - same can be said for TOPAZ. It's not a particularly great movie, but try to find a more beautiful death scene than Karin Dor's from this film?

[–] hisgrandmogulhighness 13 years ago

yes, it was stunning . . . and she was so lovely . . . some of the scene though are beautifully filmed . . . one has to spend time with the film . . .

[–] Marlburian 12 years ago

Just seen it on UK TV, and for a Hitchcock film it was a big disappointment and most of the actors were so bland and dull, especially the Americans. I almost wonder if this was on purpose. The only people with any character were the black guy, the son-in-law, Parra and his red-haired colleague.

I nearly gave up before the halfway point, but then things got a bit more interesting and there was a bit of tension towards the end with the Frenchmen's meal and the son-in-law interviewing the traitor.

[–] hisgrandmogulhighness 12 years ago

I'm blaming Universal . . . still, a beautifully done movie . . .

[–] singjohn 12 years ago

I actually saw this before I knew it was a Hitchcock film. Actually thought that someone was doing a bad Hitchcock imitation.

Topaz' flaws could be summed up pretty easily:

1. The unknown foreign cast members (at least to American audiences)
2. The confusing plot.
3. The stilted acting style.
4. The look of the film which resembles a TV episode of Mission Impossible or some other late 60's TV show (complete with John Forsythe, at the time a 60's TV staple.)
5. The silly montage ending.

If the foreign political era of the early 60's interests you, you can find Topaz very enjoyable.

[–] hisgrandmogulhighness 12 years ago

Yes, it does fit the international political situation in the '60s very nicely . . . one must take this film as a sort of "retro" type story--moving things back away from 1970 to the fifties and early sixties . . . I always like watching it . . . beautifully shot . . .