October 1, 2012

21 The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965)

***½
Country: UK
Director: Martin Ritt

A few weeks ago I wrote about The Ipcress File, one of the finest of the Cold War spy films of the 1960s. Just months after that film was released, another Cold War spy thriller that ranks among the very best films of its type was released—The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. The first of many movies and television shows based on the works of John le Carré, it introduced filmgoers to the peculiar—and very British—espionage world of le Carré, a world whose surface of utter mundanity masks an interior of deception, treachery, betrayal, and psychological manipulation as distorted and illusory as Lewis Carroll's Wonderland.

The film opens in Cold War Berlin in the dead of night with an impressive two-and-a-half minute tracking shot behind the credits that is sure to have you thinking of Touch of Evil. Starting in East Berlin, the camera slowly draws back through the no-man's land between the two sectors, pausing occasionally for a new vantage point before finally stopping at Checkpoint Charlie. The area is almost completely deserted, its darkness punctuated in classic monochrome film noir style with bright pools of light and reflections off damp, glistening cobblestones. Finally we see Alec Leamas (Richard Burton), the head of British intelligence in Berlin, waiting inside the guards' shed for the arrival of one of his East German agents. Just as the agent, riding a bicycle, enters the area between East and West, something goes horribly wrong, and Leamas watches helplessly as his man is shot down by East German border guards.
This is the end of the line for Leamas. He returns to London a burnout case and is soon working at a menial job as a library assistant, a surly depressive who drinks too much. The one bright spot in his life is a budding romance with a young woman who also works at the library, Nan Perry (Claire Bloom). After a drunken brawl with a shopkeeper, Leamas loses his job and is sent to prison. Released from prison and with no prospects in view, he is approached by a man who purports to be from a prisoner aid society but who ends up taking him to a Soho strip club and introducing him to a shady foreigner who offers a large sum of money if he will tell everything he knows about British intelligence to a "reporter," in other words, a Communist spymaster.

But Leamas's seemingly simple plan to reveal his secrets, take the money, and quietly drop out of sight suddenly becomes a great deal more complicated. He finds himself exposed, forced to defect to the East, and inextricably caught up in life-and-death power conflicts within East German intelligence. Friends have become enemies, enemies have become friends, and in this topsy-turvy world the only thing he knows for sure is that he can't trust either side. From British station head in Berlin to alcoholic traitor trapped behind the Wall, Leamas seems to have hit bottom. Or has he? For in le Carré's spy world, the only certainty is that things are seldom what they seem.

Typically for le Carré, a large part of the film's appeal lies in trying to figure out, along with the characters, what is really happening. As the plot develops, surprise revelations tell us that what appears to be happening might not be the full story, that like the people in the film we are possibly being subjected to an elaborately orchestrated narrative intended to mislead, and in the face of this constantly shifting reality we are soon caught up in their paranoia. The entire film has the wintry look and aura of despair, its bleak mood underscored by the drabness of the film's settings and the crisp, stark black-and-white cinematography of Oswald Morris.

Even with all its other assets—including an excellent supporting cast, with Oskar Werner a particular standout as Leamas's East German control—the biggest thing the film has going for it is Richard Burton. At this point Burton was at the peak of his career, over the space of a couple of years turning in one brilliant performance after another, not only in this film, but also in Becket, The Night of the Iguana, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Burton could rant and rave and ham it up with the most grandiose screen actors, but in these performances he opted for a restrained approach, emphasizing the inner anguish of the character over emphatic external vocal and physical gestures.

His Alec Leamas is a broken and disillusioned man. Recruited for British intelligence while still in his teens because of his linguistic abilities, he has over the years been slowly worn down. The world of espionage is one that operates in a culture of the end justifying the means. As his control in London tells him, "Our policies are peaceful, but our methods can't afford to be less ruthless than those of the opposition." But after years of double-dealing and triple-dealing and seeing human life treated as a disposable commodity, he has begun to see his job as inhumane and futile. Burton lets us see the pain in Leamas's dead eyes, the hopelessness in his apathetic movements and facial expressions, and the emotional numbness in his guarded, muted reactions. In his one emotional outburst, Leamas tells Nan what it really means to be a spy in a speech that could also serve as a concise statement of le Carré's own views on the subject:
What the hell do you think spies are? Moral philosophers measuring everything they do against the word of God or Karl Marx? They're not. They're just a bunch of seedy, squalid bastards like me. Little men. Drunkards, queers, henpecked husbands, civil servants playing cowboys and Indians to brighten their rotten little lives.
The only person in the film not ruled by this cynical ethos of expediency is the idealistic Nan. Leamas's life before Nan has apparently been one of isolation. He has no emotional attachments, and his only friendships are with others involved in espionage. Nan is the only person with whom we ever see Leamas form an emotional connection. When Leamas tries to protect her from becoming involved in the danger that pervades his life, only to see her dragged unwittingly into it and used as a pawn in the machinations of both sides, he feels that he has been betrayed and that her naiveté has been exploited and corrupted. This realization leads directly to the film's conclusion, with Leamas literally atop the Berlin Wall in the glare of searchlights and forced to decide which way to jump. It's an electrifying finale that reduces to the simplest terms possible the decision that will determine Leamas's fate.

21 comments:

  1. Very nice review of a terrific film. My favorite Burton performance. The novel is great too. This is one that gets better with each viewing. I've seen it probably seven.

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    1. Readerman, thanks. I read the novel years ago and recall it being quite suspenseful. I agree that this is one of the great Burton performances.

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  2. Can't add too much to R.D.'s typically splendid essay, except it is probably my favorite Richard Burton performance.

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    1. Kevin, Richard Burton in this film seems to have struck a chord, and I'm a bit surprised at how many people find this his best--or at least favorite--performance. Someone with a more introspective screen presence might have been a more obvious choice to play Leamas, but Burton was great at tapping into the repressed pain and frustration of the character.

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  3. Splendid review of the seminal anti-Bond spy film. The horribly bleak atmosphere is a great reflection of Alec's world outlook (I can't envision this film in color). I agree with everyone else that Burton is excellent, but so is Claire Bloom; it's easily my favorite among her performances. And, lest we forgot, Rupert Davies became the answer to a tasty trivia question: Who was the first actor to play George Smiley? I've read all but one of le Carre's spy novels, which are character studies as much as anything else. That's why this film adaptation works where many others have failed. From my teen movie-watching days, I remember really enjoying THE DEADLY AFFAIR, an adaptation of a nifty Smiley novel titled CALL FOR THE DEAD. The movie, with James Mason as Smiley, seemed to disappear for several decades before popping up on TCM in 2010. Alas, I was quite disappointed, partially due no doubt to my own expectations. Mason was still good as Smiley, but Harriet Andersson seemed all wrong as Ann.

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    1. Rick, I can't envision this film in color either. The drab locations and interiors and winter landscapes just seem suited to black-and-white. It's quite close to the look of the film noir-influenced thrillers of the later 40s and 50s. Great comments you made about le Carre's novels being character studies and how this film follows that, especially I think in its definition of Leamas. I saw "The Deadly Affair" a number of years ago on TCM and remember liking it, just as with "The Spy...Cold." Another viewing would confirm whether it holds up or not.

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  4. Burton was such a fine actor; although he was known for his booming voice, he was marvelous at projecting a restrained yet powerful inner life in his characters (I actually once saw him on stage, in a revival of 'Camelot'; he just seemed too grave, too world-weary, too deep, for such a candy-colored musical). I haven't seen this film in a long while; your post inspires me to check it out again.

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    1. GOM, yes, Burton could have a stagy, declamatory style. I suppose that's why I liked him so much as Petruchio in "Taming of the Shrew." But in the films of this period and in some other films of his too he could modulate his projection level way down to movie level. Then he was really good at projecting what you call the "powerful inner life in his characters." What I think distinguished him from other actors who were good at projecting the inner lives of their characters was that you were always aware of that power. His conflicted characters never seemed weak.

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  5. R.D., For me, this is Richard Burton's very best film performance (Rev. Shannon of "The Night of the Iguana" is a not too distant second). His portrayal of Alec Leamus is shattering - the very revelation of a compromised and embittered man's tormented soul. I'd seen "Iguana" and "Becket" and "Virginia Woolf" (not to mention "The VIPs" and "Cleopatra") before "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold" and knew he possessed talent as well as starpower. But it was with this film that I actually 'got' the depth and scope of his gift. If only he had not lost himself in celebrity and the rest of it.

    "Spy" and "Hud" and "No Down Payment" are my favorite films of Martin Ritt - interesting reflections of his Group Theater roots and political world view.

    An incisive and thoughtful exploration (and, as always, supremely well written) review, R.D.

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    1. Eve, another vote for this as favorite Burton performance! My own is probably his George in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" with this a close second. It's too bad that the years of hard living had such bad effects on both his health and his career. This and a handful of other films from about the same time are proof what he could do with a challenging role when he was at his peak.

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  6. R.D.
    I hadn't thought about this film in years. I eat up 'spy films' so I had high expectations going into this one when I saw it in the early 2000s. Afterall, it's Richard Burton. I wasn't disappointed and it was memorable for it's good script but especially because of Burton's performance which was a nice change as you've described so perfectly with "he opted for a restrained approach, emphasizing the inner anguish of the character over emphatic external vocal and physical gestures." While we're on 'spy films', have you seen "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"? I'm just curious if you've seen it and if so what you thought of it. I really enjoyed it. Oldman at his best!

    Thanks for bringing this film to our attention with your honest and enjoyable review.
    Have a great week!
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    1. Page, thank you. I didn't specifically mention it in the post, but I too thought the film had an excellent script. It can't be easy to maintain the convolutions of such a plot, yet not confuse the viewer in the process and keep the movie moving right along. I thought the film did a good job of focusing the essential issues.

      I did see "Tinker, Tailor..." not long ago after seeing the original mini-series just a few months before. I thought the movie did a good job of condensing seven hours' worth of plot into about two hours without missing anything essential--and paradoxically was less confusing than the mini-series about some points. Gary Oldman was terrific (what a chameleon!) although at times he seemed quite close to Alec Guinness in the TV version. The rest of the cast had the kind of great British actors that for me it's always a treat to watch. I did wonder, though, if Colin Firth was the ideal person to play his part. I liked Ian Richardson from the TV version a lot better. I especially liked Kathy Burke's cameo as Smiley's former colleague.

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  7. See, I didn't see the original series going in and in a way I'm glad. (No comparisons going in) but now that you've brought it up. I would like to see if I can find it. I had forgotten that Guinness was in the TV version. I do like Colin Firth as an actor but at times he frustrates me because he seems to be playing the same person in every role. Perhaps it's his very monotone voice. I don't think it's proper to accuse an English actor of having no range. Or is it?

    When I saw The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo so many reviewers and even friends kept saying how they liked the original Dutch version so much better but I haven't seen it either.
    So many things to read and watch and so little time. : )

    See ya later, R.D.
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  8. I also think this is one of Burton's best performances. It's a bit of a downer, to be sure, but it makes you think and everything about it is so well done. Thanks for this excellent review.

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    1. Silverscreenings, the look and mood of the film are bleak without letup, and it's plain this one is meant to be taken completely seriously. It's definitely not the escapist fare of the James Bond films that made this kind of movie popular in the 60s--pretty much in all ways their opposite, in fact.

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  9. I just reviewed this movie on my blog. Of all the le Carre adaptations, this one is probably my favorite, and you did a good job reviewing it. As far as Burton's performance goes, apparently he quarreled throughout the shoot with Martin Ritt (who wanted Burton to play it more subdued than Burton wanted to do), but the end result was so worth it. Again, great write-up!

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    1. Lipranzer, of the le Carre adaptations I've seen, the original mini-series of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is my favorite, followed very closely by this one. This one has a nice concision and unity that movies require, and "Tinker Tailor" has the leisurely plot and character exposition and accumulation of detail that the TV mini-series of its day permitted. Burton is not an actor who I would have associated with such a character. I can see how, after playing the lead in the movie of "Look Back in Anger," he might have been tempted to overdo Leamas's bitterness. Whatever it was that kept his tendency to bluster reined in, he gave a mighty affecting performance.

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  10. "At this point Burton was at the peak of his career, over the space of a couple of years turning in one brilliant performance after another, not only in this film, but also in Becket, The Night of the Iguana, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Burton could rant and rave and ham it up with the most grandiose screen actors, but in these performances he opted for a restrained approach, emphasizing the inner anguish of the character over emphatic external vocal and physical gestures."

    Indeed R.D. I couldn't agree with you more, and your subsequent analysis of his buffo turn here as Alec Leamas, is a most fascinating aspect of any real appreciation of this cold war spy classic that is the best screen adaptation of any work of Le Carre's. The stark, desolate black and white cinematography from Oswald Morris is a major thematic negotiator, and the film stands as one of three masterful works from Ritt with HUD and SOUNDER. In any case, fantastic review. Burton's work here comes close to what I consider to be his best performance (George in VIRGINIA WOOLF) with his work as the Archbishop of Canterbury in BECKETT equal to Alec Leamas. SPY is a captivating film throughout.

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    1. Sam, I couldn't agree more that Burton and cinematographer Morris are the people that glue together all the other good things about this movie. The whole movie seems to get into an atmospheric groove right away and stays there. It's interesting that Morris, who had done noir-inflected work like this before, went on to specialize in big-budget musical spectaculars, winning an Oscar for "Fiddler on the Roof." Ritt was one of those directors who didn't get in the way of the script, and when it was good, as it was here, the results could be most pleasing. Don't know why, but this seems not unusual of directors like Ritt who got their start in TV in the 50s and later moved into feature films. They often seemed to respect the script and actors more than directors with a more indentifiable visual style. I'd agree that "Hud" is his best movie, again not least because of all the great performances, including my favorite Paul Newman performance after "The Hustler."

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  11. R.D.

    As always a well written and thoughtful review. I'm with you though on "Virginia Wolfe" being Burton's best performance. He is excellent here as he is in THE NIGHT OF THE IQUANA. Sadly, he wasted his talent on a lot of trashy films in between, films like CANDY, BLUEBEARD, THE V.I.P.s. and THE SANDPIPER. Granted there are some films of his that I have not seen that sound like they may have potential, HAMLET and THE ASSASSINATION OF TROTSKY to name two.

    I always felt Martin Ritt never got his due as a filmmaker but along with this film, one his best, HUD, NORMA RAE, SOUNDER and HOMBRE are all fine films.

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    1. John, thank you. Richard Burton might just have had the most schizophrenic career of any screen actor who was as well respected as he was. I saw "Hombre" awhile back, after reading mixed responses to it over the years, and thought it was quite good.

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