Review of Foreign Correspondent (1940) by Kent M — 03 Sep 2013

Hitchcock's second American film, the humor is evokes the kind of thing Spielberg would utilize later--smart, funny bits in the midst of a tense action scene. Classic Hitch set-ups include a chase as seen from above through a sea of umbrellas, a brilliant shot that begins outside an airplane in the sky and ends inside the plane itself, a sneaky hideaway in an abandoned windmill, and a big bang of a finish.

The film is particularly interesting as not only a pre-WWII consciousness with an obvious agenda but as a fish out of water story--an American in Europe from a European's point of view. Hitch would amp most of what he introduces here up a level later with NORTH BY NORTHWEST.