Topaz-1969
Director Alfred Hitchcock
Starring Frederick Stafford, Karin Dor
Top 250 Films #163
Scott’s Review #108
Reviewed July 12, 2014
Grade: A-
Topaz is an intriguing, suspenseful 1969 latter-day Alfred Hitchcock film.
In the political thriller vein, the film typically suffers from being both overlooked and under-appreciated, yet receives admiration from film buffs. It is certainly not one of his better-known films, and that is quite a shame.
As with many great films, it is complex and layered, requiring close attention and even multiple viewings.
The issue with Topaz is that the film suffers from a lack of recognizable stars- a trademark of Hitchcock films in his heyday. Frederick Stafford (Andre) and Karin Dor (Juanita) are the featured romantic couple.
Despite his being married to another woman, Andre and Juanita are the couple the audience is intended to root for.
The story involves competing spies from France, the United States, and Cuba, all vying for government secrets concerning the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 1960s.
Each spy does their best to obtain the secrets, some in a sinister fashion.
The French accents, especially, can be tough to understand, but it is a thrilling film that traverses New York City, Cuba, and France. The main protagonist is Andre, and Stafford has a high level of charisma and a suave manner.
The character is quite similar to James Bond. The film itself plays out like a Bond film, with exotic locales, beautiful women, and political intrigue.
As with most Hitchcock films, the set pieces and art direction are beautiful and perfect. One highlight is a particular character’s death scene in Cuba. Throughout the film, the love story is involved, and the death is tragic yet heartfelt and shocking.
Topaz, sadly, was unsuccessful at the box office due to the lack of Hollywood names attached and limited promotion, although it made several top-ten critics’ lists in 1969.
Topaz is undoubtedly one of the more obscure of Hitchcock’s films, but an excellent one to discover and revere.