The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Martin Ritt

Writers:

John le Carré (novel)
Paul Dehn (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

16 December 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

BRACE YOURSELF FOR GREATNESS

Plot:

British agent Alec Leamas refuses to come in from the cold war during the 1960s, choosing to face another mission, which may prove to be his final one.

Plot Keywords:

London | Cold War | Spy | Grocer | Berlin Germany

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Richard Burton	...	Alec Leamas
Claire Bloom	...	Nan Perry
Oskar Werner	...	Fiedler
Sam Wanamaker	...	Peters
George Voskovec	...	East German Defense Attorney
Rupert Davies	...	George Smiley
Cyril Cusack	...	Control
Peter van Eyck	...	Hans-Dieter Mundt (as Peter Van Eyck)
Michael Hordern	...	Ashe
Robert Hardy	...	Dick Carlton
Bernard Lee	...	Patmore
Beatrix Lehmann	...	Tribunal President
Esmond Knight	...	Old Judge
Tom Stern	...	CIA Agent
Niall MacGinnis	...	German Checkpoint Guard

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | Australia:M | Norway:16 | Netherlands:12 | West Germany:12 (f) (cut version) | West Germany:16 (f) (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | Canada:PG | UK:PG | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios - Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Company:

Salem Films Limited

Trivia:

David Lodge says in his memoirs he had disastrous interview with Martin Ritt for the part of Patmore.

Quotes:

Ashe: [Approaching Leamas who is sitting on a bench] Do you like birds? The ones with the white collars are wild. The others are domesticated. With people it's the other way around.
Alec Leamas: [He snickers]
Ashe: Bird-watching's one of my hobbies. I often come here.
Alec Leamas: Do you also often come to Wormwood Scrubs Prison at eight o'clock in the morning to watch birds?
Ashe: Yes, jailbirds. They're my other hobby.
Alec Leamas: Only the young ones, surely!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Tais-toi quand tu parles! (1981)

Grim, just as it should be

I read the book about three years ago and was prepared to be disappointed with the feature as it's a grim book and I thought they'd soften it a little, the movie is excellent though, they made a couple of changes but all for the best, anyone who thinks spying was/is a glamorous occupation should check the film out, LeCarre actually worked as a spy too which adds weight to his dark and realistic (in my opinion)view of this filthy job. My favourite feature of the film is the contempt with which each of the communist spies treats his inferiors as the chain of command is followed, it's a beautiful touch which I don't remember from the book, and by the time Leamass starts laughing at it I was right there with him. I loved this film and can't recommend it enough, Burton is brilliant, some of his cold stares as things start going bad are magnificent, and of course he plays a great drunk... it's a nice script too.