One of the recurring themes of Alfred Hitchcock's movies is the plight of a common, decent man caught in uncommon circumstances. 'Torn Curtain' is no exception.

In this reaction to James Bondism, Paul Newman plays world famous scientist Michael Armstrong who goes to an international congress of physics in Copenhagen with his fiancee/assistant Sarah Sherman (Julie Andrews). While there, she mistakenly picks up a message meant for him, and discovers that he is defecting to East Berlin in order to get funding for his pet project. Or is he? That's the answer Sarah and the audience discover as 'Hitch' directs this action thriller behind the Iron Curtain...