Parents' Guide to

Topaz

By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

'60s Hitchcock spy movie has constant peril, violence.

Movie PG 1969 143 minutes
Topaz Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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What's the Story?

Based on Leon Uris' novel of the same name, TOPAZ is set in Cold War 1962 when, in real life, Soviets had placed nuclear weapons in Cuba, just 70 miles off the coast of Florida, and America threatened to bomb the Soviet installations, supposedly to prevent a larger war. As depicted here, the Cuban Missile Crisis doesn't escalate into nuclear war because of behind-the-scenes maneuverings and weapons information gleaned from a defecting top Soviet official. He also confirms that Soviet spies have infiltrated top levels of the French government. Washington-based French operative Andre Devereaux (Frederick Stafford) agrees to secretly photograph Cuban-Russian plans for Michael Nordstrom (John Forsythe), an American intelligence agent. Staples of the spy world are on display, including microfilm, cameras hidden in sandwiches, torture, smuggling, and high-pressure interrogations. Bad people get killed but the free world is saved from Soviet plotting, at least temporarily.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say Not yet rated
Kids say (1):

This is a well-made, old-fashioned spy procedural that meticulously takes us through the processes of international espionage and diplomacy. Topaz wasn't a hit when it came out, probably owing partly to routine storytelling techniques, many of which director Alfred Hitchcock had himself pioneered. This is far from Hitchcock's best film, but it still shows his masterly handling of a complex story with his characteristic intelligence and clarity. A strict adherence to gentlemanly propriety also means there are no overt references to sex, although it's clear which men and women have been lovers, and language goes no further than "hell." Even the violence is mostly implied. People are seen after they've been thrown out the window or shot.

So although the movie is about keeping the world from the brink of nuclear annihilation courtesy of two rival superpowers, there's nothing really scary here. Young students of film may be interested in seeing how Hitchcock, a master of suspense, uses editing, camera angles, and music to effectively create cinematic tension.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what nuclear weapons are. Why are they more dangerous than other kinds of weapons? How could you learn more about the Cuban Missile Crisis?

  • Does Topaz do a good job explaining what kind of work spies do? How could you learn more about spies?

  • Can you name some ways in which movies look and sound different now than they did in 1969?

Movie Details

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