I found Hitchcock's spy thriller, based on a novel which was loosely based on an international incident, to be rather underrated. I appreciated the way the film bleakly looks at intelligence in the role of international relations, and deconstructs the glamorous spy motif. Topaz perhaps is a bit of a downer but perhaps there is good reason for that. And it all is told in a tight, suspenseful story which engaged me more than I expected.
I appreciated Frederick Staffords low key French spy for the flawed but trying man he was and the ways he was pulled between priorities. Little in Topaz is just black and white, from the good and evil tropes, the roles of the different nations as they play political games, to his character itself and this was refreshing. This genre tends to set out a specific good side and bad side and I appreciated that no one in Topaz felt noble. I understand there are two different endings, I saw the "British" version which is the least hopeful from what I understand and I appreciated that.
I do feel that Hitchcock likes to explain a lot so I felt there wasn't as much mystery as I'd hoped along the way. I also felt the ending comes a bit rushed. But still I enjoyed Topaz for how it surprised me. It is the opposite of a Bond style spy thriller and I mean that in a good way.
Topaz
Starring: Frederick Staffords, Danny Robin, Karin Dor, John Vernon, Michel Subor, John Forsyth
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writer: Samuel A Taylor
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