Foreign Correspondent (1940)

The critic finds the film spectacularly entertaining as a prime example of Hitchcock's breakneck travelogue thrillers and a dry run for later classics like North by Northwest. The rain-soaked assassination scene with the sea of umbrellas and other set pieces like the windmill and plane crash are highlighted as standout moments.

The incidents are extraordinarily exciting and up-to-the-minute, dramatizing current news events as a perfect thriller with Fifth Columnists, assassinations, kidnappings, and a tremendous finale aboard a plane on the day war is declared. Hitchcock's unfailing contribution is the smooth piecing together of these elements.

The critic views the film as a key early Hollywood work that foreshadows Hitchcock's later style and scale through its ambitious production and memorable set pieces. The windmill chase, rooftop escape, and plane crash sequence are singled out as impressive examples of cinematic spectacle.

The critic describes the film as a breathless yarn with serious intent that soars well beyond mediocrity but just below genius, and argues it deserves a place among Hitchcock's best. They single out its humour and brilliance in staging, along with its clear propagandistic purpose to inspire American audiences about events in Europe.

The critic calls it highly-wrought entertainment in the vein of Hitchcock's other thrillers, with the hero getting into scrapes across London and Holland. They single out the windmill sequence, Edmund Gwenn's creepy cameo, and the effects-laden plane crash climax for praise.

The critic finds the film packed with romantic action, melodramatic hullabaloo, comical diversion, and an illusion of momentous consequence. It is high-geared entertainment for those who can take sensationalism without skepticism, with uniformly good cast and excellent photographic sequences like the Dutch windmill.

Hitchcock's espionage thriller is a thoroughly enjoyable affair with memorable set pieces, even if the propagandistic finale feels embarrassing today and it lacks the director's usual cruelty or moral pessimism. McCrea and Day search out Nazi agents in London and Holland, with fine support from Sanders, Gwenn and Marshall.

The story is essentially cops-and-robbers set against international political intrigue with a war flavor, though not a war picture, featuring mystery and intrigue. The cast is carefully selected and tops, with Joel McCrea blending self-confidence and naivete as the reporter-hero and strong support from the ensemble.

It is a good movie but not great, part thriller and part propaganda with too much blabbing about patriotism at the florid ending. Several juicy Hitchcock set pieces stand out, including the striking windmill sequence involving the apparent murder of a Dutch diplomat.

The critic calls it a fast-moving political thriller that showcases Hitchcock's growing mastery of scale and momentum. It balances entertainment with a warning about the stakes of war and misinformation, earning notice even from Joseph Goebbels as effective propaganda.