27: Torn Curtain (1966)

Calling upon his experience making political thrillers in the 30s and 40s, Hitchcock sets his eye directly on the Cold War for the first time in TORN CURTAIN. Even if his heart doesn’t really seem to be in it, there’s enough going on to interest any old movie fan, and stands among the better spy thrillers of the decade. One of the film’s best sequences is a high stakes brainstorm between two scientists on opposite sides of the Cold War. Even as it is just two intellectuals at a chalkboard, the scene is rich with tension, and one can feel the the elation of discovery when the Soviet’s secrets are revealed. It calls to mind another classic of the nerdy Cold War thriller, John Badham’s WARGAMES. One of the definitive Cold War movies of the 80s, the Matthew Broderick vehicle pairs well with Hitchcock’s more straightforward approach, exemplifying the way Hollywood’s approach to the never ending conflict shifted over the decades.