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Without any shadow of a doubt it is time once more to turn to Dan Hodges and his studies on spy noir and its place in the origins of film noir in the UK and the US.
Indeed Dan classifies Contraband (1940) as a strong example of the Good Spy class of spy noir, with Valerie Hobson playing a female good spy. She is epic and strong, and none of the modelling for strong female characters has changed since this day in 1940 when she strode on deck without her life jacket, in Contraband (1940).
This does not appear to be much of an exaggeration. It is still an issue to talk of strong female characters. The descriptor strong detracts from context and the result is that nothing can escape gender roles. To embrace the gender roles as different but equal, is what makes sense in looking at Contraband. Valerie Hobson's character is fascinating as a marker upon the femme fatale notion.
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| Maritime wartime establishing shots in Contraband (1940) |
She is of course fatal to her enemies, but remains throughout otherwise marked reasonably in the tones of wartime woman. She travels alone, she is aloof. She is beautiful and dresses well and does not obey the rules. If the captain on the boat does not wear a life jacket, neither will she, despite his orders.
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| Valerie Hobson in Contraband (1940) |
The power is balanced. The modern feel which actually seems more at ease with gender roles and comfortable with progressing these genders into characters is more advanced in most ways than it is today.
Regarding the origins of the Good Spy in the evolution of film noir, Dan Hodges says:
A good male spy, who is a British or American civilian, may pretend to be a different person whom he identically resembles. Not only does he fool the real man’s friends and accomplices but also his wife, girlfriend or mistress (Otto Beckner, Nazi Agent; Ralph Bellamy, The Great Impersonation; Jean-Pierre Aumont, Assignment in Brittany).
In each example below, the good spy is a woman.
UK – government agent: Vivian Leigh, Dark Journey; Valerie Hobson, Contraband (aka Blackout); Anna Neagle, Yellow Canary
UK – civilian: Wynne Gibson, The Crouching Beast; Margaretta Scott, The Man from Morocco
US – government agent: Margaret Tallichet, The Devil Pays Off; Nancy Coleman, Dangerously They Live; Vera Ralson, Storm Over Lisbon
US – civilian: Brenda Marshall, Espionage Agent; Veronica Lake, This Gun for Hire; Ingrid Bergman, Notorious
FROM: filmnoirfile.com
Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s collaboration began with The Spy in Black (1939), a film released just before World War II. Alexander Korda brought the duo together for this project, starring Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson. Its success led to a follow-up, Contraband (1940), cementing Powell and Pressburger’s partnership. Both films, spy thrillers at their core, delve into recurring themes that would define their later works: identity, alienation, and the interplay between place and individual psyche.
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In The Spy in Black, the central character, German Captain Hardt, played by Veidt, challenges audiences to empathize with an "enemy alien." Veidt’s background in German Expressionist cinema, including The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Waxworks, lent an eerie, gothic quality to his portrayal. The film blends spy genre conventions with gothic and Expressionist elements, reflecting British territorial anxieties in the late 1930s.
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| Conrad Veidt in Contraband (1940) |
Echoing Alfred Hitchcock’s earlier spy thrillers, such as The 39 Steps and Sabotage, the film uses chiaroscuro lighting and morally ambiguous characters to heighten tension.
Alfred Hitchcock's influence can already be felt in1940, as Contraband proves. There are direct to camera approaches form the villains, and other minor characters, there are choreographed crowd scenes and there are guignol-like appearances from the shabby depths of the underworld, the imagined spy rings, almost Conradian, working in an unseen and here specially blackened London.
Spy thrillers often encode fears about national security and foreign infiltration, and The Spy in Black exemplifies this by focusing on espionage as a metaphor for existential and political insecurity. Unlike Victorian adventure tales that celebrate imperial dominance, the spy thriller presents a defensive, uncertain perspective, complicating binaries like good versus evil or us versus them. Hardt’s interactions with British characters, particularly Valerie Hobson’s dual role as a spy and a romantic foil, explore the instability of identity and allegiance.
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| Maritime and wartime establishing photography in Contraband (1940) |
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| Hay Petrie in Contraband (1940) |
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| Valerie Hobson in Contraband (1940) |
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| Blackout wardens of London town in Contraband (1940) |
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| Clubs of London in Contraband (1940) |
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| Action movies, spies, thriller, international, pistols, 1940. Powell and Pressburger |
Contraband builds on these themes, reuniting Veidt and Hobson in a tale of espionage involving Danish neutrality. The film opens with a clear geographical and temporal context, emphasizing wartime transitions. Veidt’s Captain Anderson, a Danish merchant captain, navigates a morally complex world where national identities are fluid and deceptive.
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The film plays with contrasts between appearances and reality, such as Anderson’s pursuit of his identity papers and the use of a Danish restaurant, the "Three Vikings," as a cultural enclave in London. This space becomes a microcosm of immigrant identity—simultaneously nostalgic and adaptive.
Powell and Pressburger employ set-pieces that highlight the tension between surface appearances and hidden truths. In Contraband, a London cinema conceals Nazi activities behind its patriotic façade, echoing Hitchcock’s use of a film theater in Sabotage. Another striking location is the "Patriotic Plaster Products" warehouse, filled with busts of Neville Chamberlain—a satirical nod to the futility of appeasement.
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The busts, representing Chamberlain’s diminished authority, serve both as a visual joke and a tool for defeating the German villain.
Both films explore the psychological and cultural dislocation of alien figures, whether Veidt’s German captain in The Spy in Black or his Danish counterpart in Contraband. In the latter, the restaurant scenes reflect the diasporic experience, portraying the Danish community as both a refuge and a site of cultural preservation. Powell and Pressburger’s interest in subcultures and displaced identities would continue to shape their work.
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| The life jacket comes between them Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson in Contraband (1940) |
In Contraband (1940), Powell and Pressburger inject a distinctive Expressionist moment into the narrative, offering a stylistic divergence from the more sustained atmosphere of The Spy in Black. This occurs when Captain Anderson (Conrad Veidt) is knocked unconscious by Nazi spies, leading to a hallucinatory sequence superimposed over a close-up of his face.
Accompanied by a percussive soundtrack, this surreal interlude highlights a psychological crisis, marking Anderson’s struggle with mistaken identity. While visually striking, this scene stands out as an eccentricity rather than an integrated part of the film’s overall style.
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In fact so much of Contraband (1940) appears Langian too, as well as Conradian, giving this feature pure pedigree. Langian mobs work the underworld, and the odd angles of the city and its stair wells contrast with the bright, flat photography of the sea.
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| Mirrors of espionage and future vision with Conrad Veidt in Contraband (1940) |
However, such virtuoso techniques, while visually compelling, can be seen as isolated dramatic flourishes rather than defining features of British cinema. As Tim Bergfelder argues, these deviations from classical spatial organization in British film are often more curiosities than signs of a German aesthetic.
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| Clubs of London in 1940, race dynamic, near-post-colony, appropriation, in Contraband (1940) |
Both Contraband and The Spy in Black portray British soil as an alien space. It is only with the onset of World War II, and the directors’ evolving patriotic dialogue, that Powell and Pressburger begin to address England as "Home," aligning their work with a broader national discourse.
The transition between the two films also reflects the changing geopolitical landscape. By the release of Contraband, Denmark had been occupied by Germany, and Chamberlain had resigned as Prime Minister. The film’s humor and topicality—such as the Chamberlain joke—resonate with its historical moment, making it a snapshot of Britain’s wartime psyche.
We may also observe how much of this mid century cinema relies on travel, on trains, on boats, to set the scene and dramatize the somewhat elevated and exterior goings on of the spy domain. Trains are terribly common.
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| This kind of drug or other brain damage montage was becoming quite common at around the time of the birth of film noir — for example — Contraband (1940) |
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| Leo Genn in Contraband (1940) |
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| Peter Bull in Contraband (1940) You recognise Bull because he went on to play Soviet Ambassador Alexei de Sadeski in Dr Strangelove (1964) |
Almost dragging Graham Greene backwards into the equation, there is a dub genre of the sub genre, which indeed we may call Blackout Noir -- the certainty of ill deeds in the wartime city, where darkness is enforced. The walrussian heroics of the blackout wardens an essential item of British humour, nonetheless the panic and secrecy of a city was never better aired. All of which rolled forth with the following interesting lobby tag:
Stop that man and woman! His mission is deadlier than that of the enemy in the sky. Her beauty is a dangerous weapon of war!
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Michael Powell’s Contraband (1940), also released in the U.S. as Blackout, is a fascinating entry in early WWII cinema. While often compared to Hitchcock's suspenseful romances, this film stands out due to its unique blend of wartime espionage, romance, and a cheeky undercurrent of humor. With a plot involving Nazi spies, a blackout-cloaked London, and a dash of British propaganda, Contraband is a delightful film that showcases Conrad Veidt and Valerie Hobson at their most charismatic.
Like a Hitchcock film, Contraband incorporates familiar ingredients: a suspenseful plot, romantic tension between seemingly mismatched leads, and an undercurrent of societal observation. Powell, however, adds his distinct flavor, crafting a playful yet atmospheric thriller. The film exudes charm and wit, leaning heavily on the chemistry between its leads.
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| Sensual and sneaked underwear touching in wartime with Conrad Veidt in Contraband (1940) |
Veidt, known for chilling performances like his ice-cold Major Strasser in Casablanca, here showcases an affable, and erotically stimulated romantic side as Captain Andersen, a Danish merchant captain embroiled in a Nazi spy plot. Hobson, meanwhile, shines as Mrs. Sorensen, the enigmatic divorcée who doubles as a British spy. Together, they create a dynamic reminiscent of Steed and Peel from The Avengers, blending elegance, intellect, and a touch of playful antagonism.
The film’s cinematography by Freddie Young is a standout feature, employing stark black-and-white visuals to immerse viewers in the eerie, fog-drenched streets and shadowy corners of wartime London. The blackout itself becomes a character, hiding secrets and amplifying suspense as Andersen and Sorensen navigate the darkness.
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| More memorable wartime eroticism as Valerie Hobson is bound in Contraband (1940) |
The climactic confrontation in a factory producing busts of Neville Chamberlain is both thrilling and subtly comedic, reflecting the film’s tonal balance. A humorous quip about Chamberlain’s toughness, delivered after a bust is used to incapacitate a spy, encapsulates the film’s sly, irreverent humor.
While Contraband draws comparisons to Hitchcock’s work, it leans more heavily into playful subversion. The plot often feels secondary, functioning as a mere scaffold for the interplay of characters and the exploration of wartime London’s unique atmosphere. Like Hitchcock’s “MacGuffins,” much of the action feels deliberately contrived, as though the characters’ choices exist to propel the narrative rather than reflect genuine motivation. Yet, this contrivance is forgivable, even enjoyable, as it adds to the film’s sense of escapist fun.
The supporting cast also contributes to the film’s charm. Hay Petrie, in a dual role, steals every scene he’s in with his quirky humor. Meanwhile, minor roles, such as Peter Bull’s cameo, lend an air of authenticity and historical significance. Even the uncredited appearances, like Deborah Kerr’s early, cut role as a cigarette girl, add a layer of intrigue for film enthusiasts.
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Emeric Pressburger’s script, though occasionally uneven, provides a surprising mix of lightheartedness and tension. The dialogue balances moments of biting wit with scenes of genuine pathos. However, some moments of levity—like campy dialogue in otherwise dramatic scenes—may undercut the suspense for modern viewers.
Beyond its entertainment value, Contraband also serves as a subtle piece of British wartime propaganda. The film highlights the competence and camaraderie of British and allied forces while portraying the Nazis as bumbling villains. The inclusion of Danish patriotism, showcased through the spirited staff of the Viking restaurant, underscores the solidarity of neutral nations with the Allied cause—a poignant message before Denmark’s invasion by Germany later in 1940.
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Ultimately, the heart of Contraband lies in the relationship between Veidt’s Captain Andersen and Hobson’s Mrs. Sorensen. Their playful banter, evolving trust, and undeniable chemistry drive the film. Unlike their previous pairing in The Spy in Black, which ended tragically, this film offers a satisfying romantic resolution. Their flirtation carries an undercurrent of irony and daring, epitomized by scenes of “heroic” bondage that are simultaneously thrilling and cheekily suggestive.
In Contraband, Powell demonstrates his early mastery of blending suspense with humor and romance, crafting a film that remains an enduringly charming and entertaining artifact of its time. While it may not rival Hitchcock’s finest works in depth, its unique style and charisma make it a worthy companion in the pantheon of espionage thrillers.
Contraband (1940)
Directed by Michael Powell
Genres - Action-Adventure, Crime, Drama, Romance, Spy Film | Sub-Genres - Spy Film, Expressionist Camp | Release Date - Mar 25, 1940 | Run Time - 92 min.
The colorized version, heavy with adverts, but yet highly enjoyable
Contraband (1940) aka Blackout (1940)
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SMOKING SECTION
RITUAL PIPESMOKING BEHAVIOUR
in CONTRABAND (1940)
Contraband (1940) features one of the longest and drawn out ritual pipe stoking and smoking scenes in all of film noir and spy drama and thriller movies. Contraband (1940) represents the hey day of the pipe, the high day of the pipe, the zenith of the pipemen, the pipest-most era in culture and in this aspect and in this moment in time the pipe is the word in authority, also.
Here, the pipemen are from potentially hostile sides in the opening months of World War 2 and so Contraband and this scene in it offers a pipe dance, as it were, a pipe to pipe man to man meeting on the seas, the perfect place to light a facial stove and show your character and your steel.
There are few pipe scenes in film noir and in espionage cinema to match this one.
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SECRET MESSAGE CIGARETTE
One of the several times in spy noir and film noir that cigarettes are put to a direct and different use. This is an excellent espionage-fag used by Valerie Hobson in Contraband (1940) on her mission in London, 1940.
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