Torn Curtain, Alfred Hitchcocks' fiftieth film, is typical of his work following The Birds -- suspenseful, but not very tightly put together. Torn Curtain, a lightweight espionage thriller, has some tense, wondrously memorable moments masterfully assembled. The fight scene in the kitchen, for example, is a brutal, nightmarish scene, effectively edited and unforgettable. The scene where Paul Newman attempts to swindle a mathematical formula out of a German scientist is innovative and suspenseful. But there are too many connecting scenes that don't work, the foremost being an encounter with a Polish countess. The film bogs down focusing on her story, which is all but inconsequential.