Based on the novel by famed writer John Le Carre, Richard Burton plays a spy who is unwilling to “come in from the cold” to assume a desk job. Burnt out, he takes on the most dangerous job of his career, stalking a dangerous East German agent played by Oskar Werner. Full of crosses and double crosses, this is a brilliant espionage thriller. The quality performances by Burton, Werner and Claire Bloom are matched by a tension-packed and well-scripted screenplay. The harsh black and white camera work makes a powerful statement about the futility of the Cold War.
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Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
306742
Language
English
Audience classification
PG
Subject categories
Armed Forces, Military, War & Weapons → Cold War
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Spy films
Courtroom, Crime, Espionage & Thrillers → Thrillers
Crime, Espionage, Justice, Police & Prisons → Espionage
Feature films → Feature films - Great Britain
Literature → English literature - Film and video adaptations
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Black and White
Holdings
VHS; Access Print (Section 1)