The Defector (1966)
"L'espion" (original title)

Montgomery Cliff (in his last role) plays James Bower, an American physicist visiting West Germany who's recruited by a shady CIA agent, named Adam, to help them with the defection of a ... See full summary »

Director:

Raoul Lévy

Writers:

Robert Guenette (screenplay), Raoul Lévy (screenplay),

Stars:

Montgomery Clift, Hardy Krüger, Roddy McDowall

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Montgomery Clift	...	Prof. James Bower
Hardy Krüger	...	Counselor Peter Heinzmann (as Hardy Kruger)
Roddy McDowall	...	Agent Adams
Macha Méril	...	Frieda Hoffmann
David Opatoshu	...	Orlovsky
Christine Delaroche	...	Ingrid Weiß
Hannes Messemer	...	Dr. Saltzer
Karl Lieffen	...	Major Windisch
Uta Levka	...	Mädchen unter der Dusche

Storyline

Montgomery Cliff (in his last role) plays James Bower, an American physicist visiting West Germany who's recruited by a shady CIA agent, named Adam, to help them with the defection of a Russian scientist. But an East German secret agent, named Peter Heinzeman, learns of Bower's meeting with Adam and threatens Bower to mind his own business, while Bower learns of a back story to all this involving stolen microfilm that each side wants.

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Plot Keywords:

leipzig germany | smurf | lead actor's last film | border crossing | german german border | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

France West Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 November 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

Lautlose Waffen

Filming Locations:

Alte Pinakothek, Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Company Credits

Production Co:

PECF, Rhein Main

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Despite illness, apparently Montgomery Clift still performed all of his own stunts.

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Connections

Referenced in Montgomery Clift (1983)

User Reviews

Monty's last one is a disappointment

A melancholy air permeates The Defector. Perhaps the knowledge that this was Montgomery Clift's last role taints the viewer's experience somewhat but there certainly is very little else memorable about the film. Clift looks gaunt and nervous and even the actors around him seem to sense his imminent demise.

Raoul Levy (who also died the same year) directs with a listless hand and never draws any emotion from what could have been a much more resonant movie. Levy had just come off a terrific little road movie about hit men called Hail Mafia! (65) and in that light we are doubly disappointed with this lackluster effort.

Cynicism is the main theme here and although the film tries to take on the larger issues of patriotism, loyalty and betrayal it pulls up short, relying instead on cliché and a surface resemblance to better examples in the genre.