KamarriWilliams

Period7
Hargrave/VideoProduction

Pushing Notoriously
Notorious
isamasterfullycraftedfilmbyAlfredHitchcock.Withtheuseofdramatic
lighting,timelysound,andtheeversoprevalentpush,itrevolvesaroundAliciaandherlover
Devlin.Thepushesin
Notorious
areusedprimarilytoshowtheviewerthatsomethingis
importantnow,andwillbeimportantintheupcomingscene.
AliciaistaskedwithobtainingthekeythatopensupAlexSebastianswinecellar.The
problemisthekeyisonAlexschain.SoAliciawaitsforherbestopportunity,andseizesit.
HitchcockpushesonAliciashandthatwebelieveholdsthekeyshestole.Butthathanddoesnt
holdit,whichleadstoSebastiangoingtoherotherpalm.AliciathenwiselypullsSebastianto
herbeforehecandiscoverherslydeed.Thispushandprecarioussituationsubconsciouslytells
usthatthekeywillbecruciallateroninthemovie.
Emile,oneofSebastiansacquanticesfoolishlygoesonatangent.Apparently,Emileis
disturbedbyabottleofwine.WhenEmilefirstrealizesthebottle,itispushedon,andEmile
goesonaninaudiblespiel,presumablyaboutwhythatparticularwineisoutforeveryoneto
see.ThispushleadstoEmilesdeath,andshowsthatSebastianandhisNazipeopledonttake
kindlytoimperfection.ThisalsomakesAliciasdutymoredangerous,simplybecauseEmile
wasmurderedoverasmallincidentregardingwine.Wearelefttoonlyimaginewhattheywould
dotoheriftheyfoundoutabouthersecretidentity.
Aliciaiseventuallydiscoveredthatsheissecretlyanagent.Sebastianandhismother
formulateaplantokillwithoutherwithoutdrawingsuspicion,becauseifSebastianspeoplefind

outaboutAlicia,theywillbekilledaswell.Sotheypoisonhercoffee,thuslyleadingittobe
pushedon.Aliciadrinksthecoffee,becauseofcourse,unbeknownsttoher,itisdeadly.Wethe
viewer,didnotwitnesstheactualactofpoisoning,sothepushinformsusofitscontamination.It
leadstodramaticsfortheaudience,becauseweknowAliciaisessentiallybeingmurdered,but
sheiscompletelyoblivioustothesituation.

AliciaandDevlinescapefortheirlivesandconfesstheirloveforeachother.Theyride
awayintothenighttofindahospitaltosaveAliciaslife.Itisunclearwhatexactlyhappenedto
Sebastian,butasafebetwouldbeheiskilledbytheNazis.
Notorious
containsanabundanceof
pushesthatallowfortheviewertonevernotknowwhatjusthappened.Thepusheskeepthemin
theloopandcanevenhintatwhatwillhappennextinthefilm