"Saboteur" is not one of Alfred Hitchcock's best films, but it is a good film despite all its problems. The plot lacks credibility at times, and the acting is surprisingly hammy. However, the story is exciting, and the cinematography is very good.
The plot has a young man (Robert Cummings) falsely accused of blowing up a factory. He eludes the police while searching for the real saboteur (Norman Lloyd) to prove his innocence. He uncovers a major network of saboteurs, headed by wealthy and respected members of society. Will Cummings escape these agents? Will the police believe his story? Will the saboteurs succeed in their evil plans? Will Cummings win the heart of pouty love interest Priscilla Lane?
Cummings was an unusual choice for Hitchcock. He usually preferred using established stars in leading roles, to enhance box office appeal. Cummings and Hitchcock would work together again in "Dial M for Murder", so Hitchcock must have been pleased with his acting. Certainly Cummings is likable, and probably it is the fault of the script, but he delivers multiple fiery patriotic speeches that become jingoistic. His character also commits many crimes in order to prove his innocence (kidnapping, stealing a horse, escaping, resisting arrest, etc), an oxymoron that is shared by similar films such as "The Fugitive".
There are some spoilers in the following paragraphs, which are necessary to explain why I don't feel that "Saboteur" is an outstanding film. You've been warned!
I had complaints with other characters as well. Cummings encounters a truck driver and a blind man who are willing to break the law to help a fugitive from justice whom they have just met. Lane, who has the world's biggest lips, is kidnapped by Cummings when she attempts to turn him in. Initially she despises him and thinks him guilty. For no apparent reason, she suddenly changes her mind and does all she can for him. When the evil saboteurs finally catch them, they fail to kill them or even physically restrain them. These are the same people who plot to blow up ships and dams?
Cummings is nearly Superman in the final scenes of the movie. He manages to escape, guesses the next sabotage act correctly, and manages to prevent it. He tells all to the police, who believe and release him despite his status as America's Most Wanted. He then finds the saboteur, and nearly kills himself while trying to save the saboteur's life. All in a day's work, I suppose.
But "Saboteur" is still a good movie. It is exciting and loaded with action and (albeit heavy-handed) drama. The cinematography is occasionally outstanding, with great shots of the ship launch, the Statue of Liberty, a ritzy party, city skyscrapers, and of course, the famous scene of the saboteur falling. (65/100)
Alfred Hitchcock s exciting 1942 wartime thriller stars Robert Cummings as a Los Angeles aircraft factory worker who witnesses his plant s firebombing...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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