The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
Martin Ritt
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Plot Summary
Forget James Bond... and step into the real, dour and chilling world of spies and counterspies. Oscar®-nominee Richard Burton is the burnt-out British agent who refuses to "come in from the cold" to take a desk job — but instead launches into the most dangerous assignment of his career, stalking East German agent (and Golden Globe-winner) Oskar Werner. John Le Carré's best-selling novel provides the basis for this breathtaking thriller of espionage, intrigue, crosses and double-crosses. First-rate performances from the entire cast are matched by a tension-packed and brilliantly plotted screenplay, with masterful direction from Martin Ritt (Hud, Sounder).
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Movie Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes
TOMATOMETER
83%- Reviews Counted: 12
- Fresh: 10
- Rotten: 2
- Average Rating: 7.6/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: The film makes you believe it could have happened. And that's the remarkable thing.
Fresh: An excellent contemporary espionage drama of the Cold War which achieves solid impact via emphasis on human values, total absence of mechanical spy gimmickry, and perfectly controlled underplaying.
Rotten: Grim, monotonous, and rather facile, though Richard Burton's aging agent has some honest poignancy.
Fresh: What finally impresses, however, is the sheer seediness of so much of the film, with characters, buildings, and landscapes lent convincingly grubby life by Oswald Morris' excellent monochrome camera-work.
Customer Reviews
Really strong
A great film --- something this slow, deliberate and subtle could never be made today. Younger viewers will likely be bored by the pacing and confused by the low-key plot, but a real example of directorial control and acting restraint. The courtroom scene is worth watching twice.
Remarkable
Not even Hollywood filmmakers could manage to make a mash out of this great story. All the damage they did to it was comparatively minor - embellishing some of John le Carre's true-to-life villains to their own image of true communists.
Brilliant
A timeless, brilliant picture. A classic.
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