Cinquième colonne

Saboteur belongs to the group I call "middle Hitch" - neither among his timeless masterpieces (Psycho, Rear Window, Vertigo...) nor among his very good movies (To Catch a Thief, Suspicion...), but still better than his rare weak efforts (Jamaica Inn, Frenzy...). The "middle Hitch" includes breezy, fun genre movies (The Lady Vanishes, Young and Innocent...), with flashes of genius here and there. Saboteur follows the "innocent man on the run" template which the director had been tackling since The 39 Steps and which will peak decades later with North by Northwest. Leads Robert Cummings and Priscilla Lane are lightweight but likable; the story of a young man wrongly accused of sabotage who must escape the police and find the real culprit is entertaining, although Hitchcock's own assessment (in one of his insightful interviews with Truffaut) that the script lacks discipline and is cluttered with too many ideas seems accurate. 7/10

Saboteur doesn't get the attention it deserves for one major reason. Hitchcock wanted Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck. Imagine what a "big" film it would have been perceived as with them as the stars. Instead, he got Robert Cummings and Priscilla Lane, both very good, but signalling that somehow this wasn't a major motion picture. Saboteur has all the Hitchcock elements, some reminiscent of the 39 Steps - the wrong man accused and on the run, a blonde, handcuffs, and pre-North by Northwest, a scene at a landmark, with similar action taking place. The story concerns a worker, Barry Kane (Cummings) accused of setting fire to a munitions factory and killing his best friend. In fact, Kane saw the terrorist - a man named Frye, who posed as an employee. He sets out to clear his name. There are some interesting scenes and colorful characters, and the end is exciting - also a bit abrupt, as if Hitchcock ran out of money. Still very enjoyable and worth seeing.