This is a dark, bleak spy thriller . . . and one of the best spy movies ever made.
Richard Burton stars as Alec Leamas, a gard-drinking British agent stationed in West Germany. After a botched attempt to bring another agent across the border, Leamas is called back to London where his superiors suggest he "come in from the cold" and take a desk job. Leamas will have no part of this, so he is sent on another mission in which he poses as a defector.
This movie has top-notch acting from Burton, Claire Bloom, Oskar Werner, Sam Wanamaker, Bernard Lee ("M" from the early James Bond movies!) and others. Most scenes are dark and brooding, with plenty of booze, rain, and shadows. There is a tense, riveting scene in which Leamas is brough before a Communist tribunal . . . lots of crackling dialogue here and Burton says more with his tired, drooping eyes than most actors can say with their mouths.
If you're looking for car chases, explosions, and tricky gadgets, this movie is not for you. But if you want to see a slick piece of film making, you should really enjoy this one. Directed by Martin Ritt. Highly recommended.
