By Armando Inquig

Released in 1946, “Notorious” stands as one of the quintessential masterpieces in Alfred Hitchcock’s filmography.

Blending suspense, romance, and espionage, the film is often remembered for its clever narrative and cinematic techniques. Over the decades, “Notorious” has cemented its place as a classic and its influence in countless other films.

Set right after World War II, the story follows Alicia Huberman, the daughter of a recently convicted Nazi spy. American intelligence agent T.R. Devlin approaches her with a mission: to use her old connections to infiltrate a group of Nazis hiding out in Rio de Janeiro. As the two work together, their professional relationship starts to get complicated by a growing romance.

Set right after World War II, the story follows Alicia Huberman, the daughter of a recently convicted Nazi spy. American intelligence agent T.R. Devlin approaches her with a mission: to use her old connections to infiltrate a group of Nazis hiding out in Rio de Janeiro. As the two work together, their professional relationship starts to get complicated by a growing romance.

Alicia is then tasked to rekindle his past relationship with Alex Sebastian, a former acquaintance and Nazi sympathizer. This becomes key to the mission, but it puts a huge strain on her relationship with Devlin.

As she gets deeper into the assignment, Alicia discovers something much darker: the Nazis are hiding uranium ore inside wine bottles — part of a plan to develop atomic weapons. Eventually, Sebastian realizes Alicia is working against him. Along with his mother, he starts slowly poisoning her.

Devlin starts to suspect something’s wrong and figures out the truth just in time. He rescues her, and the story builds to a powerful finish where Sebastian is left to face the other Nazis, now aware that he’s been harboring an American spy.

“Notorious” taps into the anxieties of its time. It’s set in the aftermath of the war and hints at the Cold War tensions that were starting to build. But at its core, “Notorious”, it’s a love story interwoven with themes of trust, betrayal, and redemption. The relationship between Alicia and Devlin is complicated; he loves her but is torn by the compromising position he’s placed her in, while she constantly seeks his trust and validation.

Previously available only on DVD, The Criterion Collection has now released Notorious on blu-ray in 4K digital restoration. The release comes with audio commentaries featuring film historian Rudy Behlmer and Alfred Hitchcock scholar Marian Keane.