Shining Through (1992)

An American woman of Irish, Jewish-German parentage goes undercover in Nazi Germany.

Director:

David Seltzer

Writers:

Susan Isaacs (novel), David Seltzer (screenplay)

Stars:

Michael Douglas, Melanie Griffith, Liam Neeson

5 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Douglas	...	Ed Leland
Melanie Griffith	...	Linda Voss
Liam Neeson	...	Franze-Otto Dietrich
Joely Richardson	...	Margrete Von Eberstien
John Gielgud	...	Sunflower
Francis Guinan	...	Andrew Berringer
Patrick Winczewski	...	Fishmonger
Anthony Walters	...	Dietrich's Son
Victoria Shalet	...	Dietrich's Daughter
Sheila Allen	...	Olga Leiner, Margrete's Mother
Stanley Beard	...	Linda's Father
Sylvia Syms	...	Linda's Mother
Ronald Nitschke	...	Horst Drescher
Hansi Jochmann	...	Hedda Drescher
Peter Flechtner	...	S.S. Officer at Fish Market

Storyline

1940, Linda Voss is a woman of Irish, Jewish-German parentage who loves the movies, especially films about war and spies. She gets a job at a New York law firm, after it's revealed she can speak German, fluently. As secretary and translator to Ed Leland, she begins to suspect that her boss is involved in espionage work. The two become lovers, and when America officially joins the Allies in fighting Hitler, Linda volunteers to go undercover behind enemy lines.

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Plot Keywords:

anti semitism | behind enemy lines | jewish woman | jew | new york city | 

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Taglines:

He needed to trust her with his secret. She had to trust him with her life.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller | War

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for a scene of sensuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the living room, when Linda and her father read a letter from her imperiled aunts and cousin in Berlin, the music on the phonograph is Robert Schumann's "Kinderszenen" (Scenes of Childhood), Opus 15.

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Goofs

Linda states that they heard the radio broadcast telling of the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Sunday morning (they were still in bed in the midst of breakfast dishes), however they were in New York at the time, so it would have been early afternoon New York time.

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Quotes

Horst Drescher: [chewing raw dove] Delicious. Makes me feel like a volf.
[laughs]
Horst Drescher: [then gulps with a sick look on his face]

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Connections

References Gone with the Wind (1939)

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Soundtracks

Goodbye Dear, I'll Be Back In A Year
Written by Mack Kay
Performed by Dick Robertson
Courtesy of MCA Records

User Reviews

Romance worth a second look!

I love this film! I know it is widely panned by critics and movie-goers alike, but I love it. Sure, it has implausible elements in the story, but the relationship between Ed Leland (played stoically by Michael Douglas) and his lady love, Linda Voss (played seductively by Melanie Griffith) is thrilling. Joely Richardson plays a complicated character who provides some interesting plot points. Melanie, who isn't known for subtlety, gives a rich and layered performance, especially in the development of the romantic storyline. Michael Douglas is a bit over the top, playing the stolid soldier and unlikely spy to the hilt. Liam Neeson is amazingly handsome and charismatic -- despite playing for the other side as a top Nazi officer. It's a fun recreation of the 1940s romance-war-spy dramas -- exciting and definitely romantic. Romance is the focus of this drama, not the spy plot. Watch the relationships unfold and it won't disappoint. It's worth a second look by many. Give it another try!

Details

Country:

USA UK

Language:

English German

Release Date:

31 January 1992 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shining Through

Filming Locations:

Hansaviertel, Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,406,829, 2 February 1992

Gross USA:

$21,633,781

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$43,838,238

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Sandollar Productions, Peter V. Miller Investment Corp.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

132 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1