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

The film cast includes four Oscar winners: Robin Williams, Patricia Arquette, Jim Broadbent and Christian Bale; and two Oscar nominees: Gérard Depardieu and Bob Hoskins.

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Quotes

[first title card]
Title Card: In the 1880's -unlike today- London was a haven for political refugees of all nationalities. They were kept under constant surveillance by their embassies as well as by Scotland Yard. This was fertile soil for every kind of conspiracy and betrayal.

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Connections

Version of The Secret Agent (2016)

User Reviews

The more things change...and all that

I would have chosen "Never more timely" for a title had the woman in NYC not taken it first. Robin Williams' fanatic could be any number of "players in this morning's "eve of war" headlines: The "End Times" druids who currently have the ear of America's Chosen-By-God president comes to mind. Or Osama bin Laden's Shi'ite zealots.

Conrad's literary genius is his ability to portray horror with the narrator's understatement and ambivalence. Bob Hoskins' film accomplishes this horrific understatement. Phillip Glass' (ordinarily no personal musical favorite) score gives the entire creepiness a magnificent auditory bas-relief. I wish I had voted it a "10" instead of merely "9." Superb.