The Secret Agent (1996)

London of the late 19th century is a haven for political exiles of all sorts - refugees, partisans, anarchists. Verloc has made his living spying for the Russian government, an agent ... See full summary »

Director:

Christopher Hampton

Writers:

Joseph Conrad (novel), Christopher Hampton

Stars:

Bob Hoskins, Patricia Arquette, Gérard Depardieu

1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bob Hoskins	...	Verloc
Patricia Arquette	...	Winnie
Gérard Depardieu	...	Ossipon
Jim Broadbent	...	Chief Inspector Heat
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

Storyline

London of the late 19th century is a haven for political exiles of all sorts - refugees, partisans, anarchists. Verloc has made his living spying for the Russian government, an agent provocateur of sorts, while simultaneously providing information to the London police, specifically Chief Inspector Heat. When the new Russian ambassador demands he prove his worth or lose his salary, Verloc sets off a tragic chain of events that involves his pretty young wife Winnie, her intellectually disabled brother Stevie, and a figure called the Professor, whose fascination with explosives and destruction makes him the person to call on when Verloc needs a bomb.

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Plot Keywords:

young wife | bomb | anarchist | mentally disabled person | secret agent | 

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some moments of violence

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 November 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$7,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$106,606, 31 December 1996

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox, Capitol Films, World Film Music Limited

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Bob Hoskins and Jim Broadbent previously appeared in Brazil (1985).

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Quotes

[last lines]
The Professor: I myself have no future. But I am a force.
The Professor: [stands and raises his glass] To the destruction of what is.

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Connections

Referenced in Aliens vs. Predator 2 (2001)

User Reviews

Pretty Good!

The Secret Agent was pretty good, but not as good as I had expected, especially since it starred Bob Hoskins. I am a big fan of Bob Hoskins, but here his performance was below average. In fact, the entire cast performed badly, except for Robin Williams. Williams has a minor role but he makes the best of it and steals every one of his scenes. Overall I give a couple of points for an interesting storyline and a few more for Robin Williams. 5/10