Torn Curtain

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Torn Curtain
Directed by	Alfred Hitchcock
Produced by	Alfred Hitchcock (uncredited)
Written by	Brian Moore
Starring	Paul Newman Julie Andrews Lila Kedrova Wolfgang Kieling
Music by	John Addison
Cinematography	John F. Warren
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date(s)	July 14, 1966
Running time	128 min / France:126 min / Germany:126 min
Language	English
IMDb profile

Torn Curtain is a 1966 political thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, featuring his trademark characters and camera techniques. The film was made by Universal Pictures and written by Brian Moore, with uncredited contributions by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall. The music score was by John Addison and the cinematography by John F. Warren.

The film stars Paul Newman and Julie Andrews, with Lila Kedrova, Hansjörg Felmy, Tamara Toumanova, Wolfgang Kieling, David Opatoshu and Ludwig Donath.

It was rated in the USA "PG" (then called "M" for "Mature") under the then-new MPAA rating system when it was released to theaters on July 14, 1966.

[edit] Background and production

The film caused some controversy for its somewhat racy (for the era) scenes featuring star Julie Andrews, who had recently made several successful Disney family films. The particular criticisms were usually based around the depiction of her character and Newman's sharing the same bed in an obviously romantic context although the characters were not married, which had not been permissible for leading protagonist characters under the former MPAA Production Code. Hithcock often complained that Andrews was "recommended" to him rather than being his real choice. However, it was a minor hit for Alfred Hitchcock and an honorable effort, though rarely considered a Hitchcock classic. It does feature a memorable murder scene (involving Paul Newman and Wolfgang Kieling) that Hitchcock made specifically to show the audience just how difficult it actually is to kill a man.

During production, the film faced some major setbacks, beyond the controversy surrounding its female star. The original script was deemed unsuitable by both Alfred Hitchcock and Universal Pictures, who financed the picture. Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall had to do extensive re-writes and script doctoring before any filming could be completed, despite their efforts going uncredited. Bernard Herrmann, a long-time collaborator of Alfred Hitchcock, completed a full score before the film's completion, but both Hitch and Universal called for a more upbeat score.

Bernard Herrmann and Alfred Hitchcock had a major falling out, and the long-time collaborators never worked together again. Financial problems and several filming location changes also delayed the production. The working relationship between Hitchcock and star Paul Newman was also said to be problematic, with Newman, who came from a different generation of actors than the likes of Cary Grant and James Stewart, constantly questioning Hitchcock about the script and the characterization throughout filming, and Hitchcock found Newman's manner and approach unacceptable and disrespectful. Newman insists that he meant no disrespect towards Hitchcock, and once said "I think Hitch and I could have really hit it off, but the script kept getting in the way."

Brian Moore's own dissatisfaction with the project can be seen in his novel Fergus (1970), which features Bernard Boweri, an unsympathetic character based on Hitchcock.^[1]

[edit] Plot

When Michael Armstrong (Paul Newman), an esteemed professor and scientist, begins acting suspiciously, his assistant and fiancée, Sarah Sherman (Julie Andrews), follows him to East Germany, believing he has defected to the other side. Sherman, however, is extremely uncomfortable with this move, realizing if the apparent defection is in fact real that, given the circumstances of the Cold War of the period, she would likely never see her home or family again.

It soon becomes apparent to both Sherman and the viewer that Armstrong's defection is in fact a ruse to gain the confidence of the East German scientific establishment and learn just how much they (and by extension, the Soviet Union) know about missile propulsion. Armstrong has made preparations to return to the West which are threatened (along with the entire organisation) when he is followed to the home of his contact (on an isolated farm) by the Stasi officer assigned to his case. Armstrong murders the man, who is then buried by the "farmer" and his wife, but the cab driver who carried Armstrong to the farm reports his suspicions to the police.

Armstrong visits the physics faculty of Karl Marx University, where his loyalty is suspected all along, and while he is discussing the propulsion question with a senior professor (Ludwig Donath), he is denounced over the school's loudspeaker system and must make a harrowing escape along with Sherman. The escape eventually leads to an alliance with an exiled Polish countess (Lila Kedrova), and a typical Hitchcock set piece, the scene where either the protagonist(s) or the villain(s), in this case the protagonists, must attempt to make an escape through a crowded theatre, this time in East Berlin. They then get loaded with the props, in which they have hidden, from the set of the travelling Czech show which was making its final appearance in Berlin prior to a tour of Sweden, and are taken there on a boat.

[edit] Reference