Christopher Nolan Explains How This Hitchcock Classic—Streaming on Max—Inspired ‘Dunkirk’
Christopher Nolan is one of the greatest directors of our time. The two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker understands how to establish atmosphere like few others do. So, it’s always interesting to hear which pictures have played a role in his cinematic journey.
In an attempt to provide insight into his influences, Nolan partnered with the BFI to program a series of films that inspired his 2017 World War II epic, Dunkirk. Amongst his picks is Alfred Hitchcock’s Foreign Correspondent.
Nolan praised the film’s technical execution and visuals, saying: “…no examination of cinematic suspense and visual storytelling would be complete without Hitchcock, and his technical virtuosity in Foreign Correspondent’s (1940) portrayal of the downing of a plane at sea provided inspiration for much of what we attempted in Dunkirk.”
The setup goes as follows:
Crime reporter John Jones (Joel McCrea) is turning in nothing but dull copy. His editor, unhappy with his work, hopes a change of scenery will be the thing Jones needs to get back on track. Re-assigned to Europe as a foreign correspondent, Jones is very much out of his element. When he stumbles on a spy ring, he feels ill-equipped to unravel the truth alone and he seeks help from a beautiful politician’s daughter (Laraine Day) and an urbane English journalist (George Sanders).
I concur with Nolan on this one. Foreign Correspondent is one of my favorites from Hitchcock’s black-and-white era. A pair of compelling leads and a series of shocking twists make this one a must-see.
If Nolan’s endorsement has you keen to seek Foreign Correspondent out, you can find it streaming on HBO’s Max now.
That’s all we have for you, dear reader. Be on the lookout for more recommendations from your favorite cinematic luminaries as we uncover them. Also, make sure to follow us on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter so you never miss one of our updates.
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