The Secret Agent (1996)

Director:

Christopher Hampton

Writers:

Joseph Conrad (novel)
Christopher Hampton (written by)

Release Date:

8 November 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

London of the late 19th century is a haven for political exiles of all sorts - refugees, partisans, anarchists...

Plot Keywords:

Bomb | 19th Century | Young Wife | Anarchist | Death Of Brother

Cast

Bob Hoskins	...	Verloc
Patricia Arquette	...	Winnie
Gérard Depardieu	...	Ossipon
Jim Broadbent	...	Chief Inspector Heat
Robin Williams	...	The Professor (as George Spelvin)
Christian Bale	...	Stevie
Roger Hammond	...	Mr. Michaelis
Eddie Izzard	...	Vladimir
Ralph Nossek	...	Yundt
Neville Phillips	...	Ticket clerk
Elizabeth Spriggs	...	Winnie's mother
Peter Vaughan	...	The Driver
Julian Wadham	...	The Assistant Commissioner

Also Known As:

Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent

MPAA:

Rated R for some moments of violence.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:16 | France:U | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | UK:12 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Bob Hoskins was originally set to direct as well.

Quotes:

The Professor: Pull yourself together. Remorse is for the weak and weakness is the source of all evil on this Earth. There's a time coming - and it's gonna be sooner rather than later - when this will be understood by governments and individuals: that there can be no progress and no solutions until you make a rational decision to exterminate the weak.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Aliens vs. Predator 2 (2001) (VG)

Boring secret agents

Whoever cares about international terrorism? It's just a boring subject, let's face it. Any objections? Well, I can understand if there are some. This film, however, might unexpectedly make you accept the truth of the above provocative statements. At least until the next time you zap to a TV news channel that is.

It's hard not to see awesome potential in doing an adaptation of Joseph Conrad's 'The Secret Agent'. And it's hard to believe such a boring and inconsequential mess could be created following up on that very idea. Incredible, just think of the following issues explored in the movie: a web of anarchist militants finding political refuge in 1880s London, an agent provocateur run by the Russian embassy, a would-be suicide bomber, human drama complicating plots and counter-plots and so on. If I managed to excite you a little by mentioning these themes, so sorry, the film will still be boring.

To say something positive, at least it's not altogether unwatchable and, totally unexpectedly for me, the scenes between two actors from whom I would have normally anticipated the least were actually some of the best moments of the film, the scenes between Robin Williams and Gérard Depardieu, both playing anarchists with a rather mysterious (anarchic?) mindset. Oh, and it's quite likely I'll read the book after all, for what I have seen at least was enough to convince me that it might be a good idea.