The Hitchcock film we love to hate

With the relatively recent (c.7 years ago actually) inclusion by
Universal of 17 minutes of footage to Hitchcock's 'Topaz', I've grown
to like this film a lot.
There's just so much story in there and the characters and plot get
such a large amount of development each that I find the entire film
fascinating.

A number of years previously, Hitchcock had given a c.50-hour interview
to the French director Francois Truffaut and he most certainly knew of
the French critics' (Cahiers du cinema) adoration of him as an artist.
Couple that with his inevitable awareness of the Bond franchise's
homage/borrowings/rip-off's and I think its no real wonder that
Hitchcock, in the late '60's, made a film set mostly in Paris .. a film
featuring Michel Subor (who a number of years previously had narrated
Truffaut's 'Jules et Jim') .. a film starring Karin Dor (who had only
just appeared in 'You Only Live Twice') .. a film starring Frederick
Stafford, a man who was famous in the '60's for playing Bond type
heroes (even appearing in a film subtitled 'From Beirut With Love').

I reckon there's a lot more to 'Topaz' than is generally credited.

Fergal #.

"sawakatoome" <sawakatoome DeleteThis @yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:1138721913.167213.264730@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

>
> I reckon there's a lot more to 'Topaz' than is generally credited.
>


I have to admit, I've always liked it. The pacing to me is so tense in that
film. It seems like the culmination of those long dialogue-less scenes and
this kind of idea where it gets off to a slow (and potentially convoluted -
like Family Plot) beginning, and then things start to happen - much like a
novel. I have yet to watch the added footage version, but it's on my short
list of things to get to in the next month or so (gotta lotta stuff to do!).

But I think you're right - and I think Torn Curtain may also fall into that
category - not as well liked by the public at large, but not a "stinker" or
anything.

Steve