The Spy Who Came In From The Cold

"Before he was evil and my enemy; now he is evil and my friend." Alec

"Before he was evil and my enemy; now he is evil and my friend." Alec


☆☆☆☆☆ Masterpiece


The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (1965) is a cold, bleak, dark look into the real spy game.

Directed by Martin Ritt from a John Le Carrè novel.

Starring Richard Burton, Claire Bloom and Oskar Werner among others.

Richard is the head spy in Berlin during the Cold War in a stunningly simple, but complex role. Ritt uses greys, and blacks to convey a bone chilling, drab, bleak existence for Richard and his counterparts.

What I enjoyed most about the directing was the slow unfolding of story, plot and character. Martin's style of directing drew me in and never let me go. Richards acting was subdued as was his magnificent vocal instrument.

In the scene below Richard does a Edward Snowden; MI6 style of course. Its a beautifully simple, but effective scene that adds to the plot later. Each scene develops the story and especially the plot and moves the story and makes it as riveting to watch as any James Bond or Jason Bourne action film. Some films sneak up on you and never let you go, this is one of them.




Trivia - Claire Bloom was 34 when she played the teenager Nan Perry.







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