{"id":4125,"date":"2007-09-05T19:07:09","date_gmt":"2007-09-06T02:07:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4125"},"modified":"2021-02-01T12:16:27","modified_gmt":"2021-02-01T19:16:27","slug":"sabotage-1936","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4125","title":{"rendered":"Sabotage (1936)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Sand. Sabotage. Wrecking. Deliberate. What&#8217;s at the back of it? Who did it?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Poster-203x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"203\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-23067\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Poster-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Poster-86x128.jpg 86w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Poster.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nWhile investigating the subversive activities of a foreign-born cinema owner (Oskar Homolka), an undercover detective (John Loder) in London finds himself falling in love with the cinema owner&#8217;s unsuspecting wife (Sylvia Sidney).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Hitchcock Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Sylvia Sidney Films<\/li>\n<li>Terrorists<\/li>\n<li>Undercover Agents and Cops<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nWidely acknowledged as one of Hitchcock&#8217;s bleakest films, this adaptation of Joseph Conrad&#8217;s novel (originally entitled <em>The Secret Agent<\/em>) takes place in a pre-WWII London where mass terrorism is being hatched behind closed doors, and it&#8217;s impossible to tell who may be The Enemy (sound familiar?). While Hitchcock himself denounced the film&#8217;s most infamous sequence (which I won&#8217;t reveal here), it&#8217;s a powerful cinematic experience, one which mercilessly portrays the unintended ripple effects of sabotage. The perennially child-faced Sylvia Sidney is perfectly cast as the unsuspecting wife, a naive woman who is literally incapable of recognizing anything evil in her husband until it&#8217;s too late. Homolka does a fine job playing the guilt-ridden yet committed saboteur (though it&#8217;s frustrating that his character&#8217;s motivations aren&#8217;t sufficiently fleshed out); and both Loder and Desmond Tester (as Sidney&#8217;s younger brother) provide some much needed levity. Not for the faint of heart, <em>Sabotage<\/em> remains a compelling tale of both marital deception (one of Hitchcock&#8217;s enduring themes) and widespread terrorism. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Sylvia Sidney as the saboteur&#8217;s unsuspecting wife<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Sidney2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Sidney2-1024x768.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-67720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Sidney2-1024x768.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Sidney2-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Sidney2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Sidney2-768x576.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Sidney2-360x270.png 360w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Sidney2.png 1239w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Oskar Homolka as the secretive saboteur<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Homolka.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Homolka-1024x762.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"476\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-67726\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Homolka-1024x762.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Homolka-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Homolka-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Homolka-768x572.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Homolka-363x270.png 363w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Homolka.png 1237w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>John Loder as the undercover agent who grows to care more and more for Sidney and her brother<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Loder3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Loder3-1024x751.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"469\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-67724\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Loder3-1024x751.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Loder3-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Loder3-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Loder3-768x564.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Loder3-368x270.png 368w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Loder3.png 1236w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Desmond Tester as Sidney&#8217;s young brother, Steve<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tester3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tester3-1024x762.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"476\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-67721\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tester3-1024x762.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tester3-300x223.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tester3-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tester3-768x571.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tester3-363x270.png 363w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tester3.png 1233w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The truly suspenseful sequence in which Steve unknowingly takes two bomb-filled film reels across town<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Bombs.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Bombs-1024x766.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"479\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-67722\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Bombs-1024x766.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Bombs-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Bombs-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Bombs-768x575.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Bombs-361x270.png 361w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Bombs.png 1239w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Steve being selected as the object of a public toothpaste and tonic demonstration<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tonic.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tonic-1024x751.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"469\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-67728\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tonic-1024x751.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tonic-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tonic-128x94.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tonic-768x563.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tonic-368x270.png 368w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Tonic.png 1245w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Several humorous &#8220;throwaway&#8221; exchanges, as when a bespectacled youth (Charles Hawtrey) tries to teach his girlfriend a few facts at the aquarium:<br \/>\n<blockquote><p><strong>Youth<\/strong>: &#8220;After laying a million eggs, the female oyster changes her sex.&#8221;<br \/>\n<strong>Girlfriend<\/strong>: &#8220;Hmph. I don&#8217;t blame &#8216;er!&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Fertility.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Fertility-1024x764.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"478\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-67723\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Fertility-1024x764.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Fertility-300x224.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Fertility-128x95.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Fertility-768x573.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Fertility-362x270.png 362w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/09\/Sabotage-Fertility.png 1243w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes. This early Hitchcock film &#8212; while terribly dark &#8212; shows true evidence of his no-holds-barred approach to storytelling. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0028212\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/88832\/sabotage#articles-reviews?articleId=78365\">TCM Article (spoilers alert)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/film\/reviews\/73885\/sabotage.html\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Sand. Sabotage. Wrecking. Deliberate. What&#8217;s at the back of it? Who did it?&#8221; Synopsis: While investigating the subversive activities of a foreign-born cinema owner (Oskar Homolka), an undercover detective (John Loder) in London finds himself falling in love with the cinema owner&#8217;s unsuspecting wife (Sylvia Sidney). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Hitchcock Films Mistaken or Hidden Identities Sylvia Sidney Films Terrorists Undercover Agents and Cops Review: Widely acknowledged as one of Hitchcock&#8217;s bleakest films, this adaptation of Joseph Conrad&#8217;s novel&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=4125\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4125","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4125","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4125"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4125\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67730,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4125\/revisions\/67730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4125"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4125"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4125"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}