Truffaut, FrancL'ois. . Hitchcock / by FrancL'ois Truffaut ; with the collaboration of Helen G. Scott. Rev. ed. 0671526014 series New York : Simon and Schuster, c1984.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1998.A3 H573 1984

 

        In Chapter 8 of this famous interview, Truffaut and Hitchcock focus their discussion on Notorious. Their conversation covers everything from the filmmaking process behind Notorious, the movie itself with the meaning and symbolism contained in the film, and its relevance after its release, both in Hitchcock's life and to international film audiences.

        This chapter is crucial to understanding the movie for several reasons. First, Hitchcock talks firsthand about the process he and Ben Hecht went through in making the film, mentioning the story that the film is loosely based on, and then going through the trial and error process to find the perfect MacGuffin (i.e., the the reason for the plot's action) and having the whole project sold to RKO after failing to convince producers of its potential for success. Hitchcock also discusses the historical relevance of the uranium used as the MacGuffin and its connections to the secret experiements taking place in New Mexico that eventually resulted in the creation of the atom bomb. In many respects, Hitchcock's real-life experiences creating the film were filled with some of the themes that made the film so compelling - government secrets (the Manhattan Project) and spying (Hitchcock claimed he was followed by the FBI as a result of his inquiries about uranium).

        Truffaut's opinions presented in the interview and Hitchcock's reactions are also of great importance in understanding how the film fits into Hitchcock's body of work. Truffaut describes Notorious as "the very quintessence of Hitchcock," and Hitchcock does not disagree. Yet the two also discuss how the film is at the same time atypical, having much less violence than most spy movies, villains who the audience can sympathize with on a certain level, and a very unexpected marriage proposal between the spy and the object of her espionage.

Martensson-Pendrill, Ann-Marie. "The Manhattan project-a part of physics history." Physics Education [0031-9120] 41.6 (2006). 493-.

        In her article, Pendrill argues that military endeavors, such as the Manhattan Project in the 1940s, led by physicists and other scientists are important parts of physics history and should be included in physics textbooks in order to give students a fuller understanding of the intersections of science, politics, and everyday life. She discusses how the project and life at Los Alamos affected the scientists both mentally and emotionally during various stages, how the creation of extreme and potentially dangerous technologies relates to ethics and responsibility, and how all these issues are tied up in the real, everyday jobs of many scientists.

        Understanding the connections between science, the government, and real people as presented by Pendrill gives insight into Hitchcock's portrayal of the villains in Notorious in several ways. First, knowledge of the Manhattan Project and the postwar creation of the atomic bomb is crucial to understanding the importance of uranium in any film from the 1940s, not just Notorious. Here, historical context is key to the film's meaning and cultural relevance. Secondly, Pendrill's article sheds some light on how the audience is somehow strangely able to sympathize to a certain extent with Alex and some of the villains of Notorious. We recognize that, despite their secrecy and dangerous experimentation, some of these men are scientists doing their jobs, and they do not have much of a choice in the matter. We can especially sympathize with Emile when we see how the smallest slip-up, a slight human error, cost him his life in the high stakes game that results when powerful institutions come together for dangerous work.