The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1965) – A British agent is sent to East Germany on an undercover mission to disrupt the German intelligence service.
Directed by Martin Ritt Starring Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, Oskar Werner
The classic John le Carré novel becomes an equally classic Cold War movie. What makes le Carré’s novel so brilliant is that he offers no illusions about the secret world of intelligence. It’s not James Bond. Handsome men and beautiful women don’t swan around in beautiful clothes, cars and casino’s while they toss off glib dialogue. The work is dirty and done by anonymous men and women from cramped quarters. Lies surround them. Lies are told to the other side, told to agents to get their cooperation, even lies told to one another in the same service. No one is entirely clear if the lies are even necessary, it’s simply how things are done. The character called “Control” (the head of this branch of British Intelligence) puts it this way in the movie:
I mean, occasionally… we have to do wicked things. Very wicked things, indeed. But, uh, you can’t be less wicked than your enemies simply because your government’s policy is benevolent, can you?
Very wicked things indeed. As with any of his stories, le Carré gives us all the twists and turns, the threats, and mind games. Burton is perfect as Alec Leamas, the end of career intelligence officer who has stayed too long “out in the cold”, which means doing in the field operations. Control will use that as the springboard to introduce Alec into a recruitment scenario by the East Germans. From there he will meet a pretty, young library assistant (Bloom) and an intelligence professional for the other side who is plotting to remove his boss (Werner).
For fans of Cold War movies, this is the big screen debut of one of the greatest characters of the genre, George Smiley. He is played here with the perfect forgettability required by Rupert Davies. Fans of British television will see several familiar faces, including Robert Hardy and Bernard Lee (who played “M” in many of the earlier Bond movies but plays a shopkeeper here). For the genre, you will be hard-pressed to name a better movie. Everything you could want from a Cold War spy movie.
Why You Will Like It – The classic, almost noir grittiness of a le Carré story, told perfectly in black and white. Burton is brilliant. And a decidedly un-Hollywood ending.
Rating – ***** Must See
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