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The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965): Martin Ritt's genre-breaking spy thriller featuring a tour de force from Richard Burton

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A faithful adaptation of John le Carré's spellbinding spy thriller 

 A Potpourri of Vestiges Review


Featured in IMDb Critic Reviews
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, poster, starring Richard Burton, Directed by Martin Ritt
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold - By Martin Ritt
Our Rating: 9.0
IMDb Ratings: 7.6
Genre: Drama | Thriller
Cast: Richard Burton, Oskar Werner, Claire Bloom
Country: UK
Language: English
Runtime: 112 min
Color: Color


Summary: British agent Alec Leamas refuses to come in from the cold war during the 1960s, choosing to face another mission, which may prove to be his final one.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a 1965 British spy thriller directed by Martin Ritt. An adaptation of a 1963 espionage novel of the same name by John le Carré, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold stars the legendary Welsh thespian Richard Burton in the lead role of a British intelligence agent operating out of West Berlin. The movie also stars Claire Bloom and Oskar Werner in major roles. John le Carré’s novels, as a direct contrast to Ian Fleming’s swashbuckling escapades, are noted for their true and realistic depiction of the world of espionage. And, to its credit, Ritt's movie remains true to le Carré’s vision. The movie also succeeds in capturing the eeriness and paranoia that underlined the early years of the Cold War.

Richard Burton as Alec Leamas in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Directed by Martin Ritt
Richard Burton as Alec Leamas in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Widely regarded as one of the greatest writers of espionage novels, John le Carré added a whole new dimension to the spy fiction genre. In his conscious attempt to present spies that appear closer to the real-life, le Carré penned down plausible caricatures that lacked charm, romanticism and heroics of Fleming's 007. John le Carré’s espionage artists lived routine boring lives plagued by the hardships of a common man—a quintessential breed of anti-Bonds who had very little in common with Fleming’s larger-than-life superspy. Ritt's film, a faithful adaptation of le Carré's masterful novel, is largely plot driven with reasonable scope for character development as far as the major characters are concerned. There isn’t an iota of sex and the little action that is present only appears to be quite realistic—a unique facet of the movie that seem to go really well with its plot.

Claire Bloom, Richard Burton in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Directed by Martin Ritt
Claire Bloom (left) in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is an exceptional spy thriller with a psychological bent. It changed the very manner in which the spy films were made during the time: the movie, against the common trend, threw in an intelligent plot, high on substance and free of any superficiality in terms of style. A genre-breaking film as far as espionage films are concerned, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold offered a completely unique perspective pertaining to the modus operandi of spies. At a time when James Bond films had painted a very glamorous, facile, almost ludicrous picture of spying, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold succeeded in limning a far more realistic canvas. In fact, it is widely considered that Ritt’s film changed the spy thriller genre forever, much similar to what Stanley Kubrick achieved in the sci-fi genre, a few years later, with his groundbreaking 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

Mundt takes Alec Leamas into custody in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Directed by Martin Ritt
Alec Leamas being taken into custody in East Germany
Richard Burton's mesmerizing performance, arguably his best ever, adds great value to the movie. Like a true chameleon, Burton right from the onset ceases to be himself as he effortlessly conjures up his alter-ego—a toughened, distrustful, all but defeated British spy named Alec Leamas. Burton's mesmerizing portrayal is well backed up by strong performances from Werner, Bloom, and the rest of the cast. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold is not only one of the best espionage thrillers of all time but is also the best adaptation of a le Carré novel along with the remarkable 1979 TV series, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, starring the legendary Alec Guinness in the role of George Smiley. A few other film adaptations of le Carré's  works that also deserve a mention are Fred Schepisi’s The Russia House (1990), John Boorman’s The Tailor of Panama (2001), Fernando Meirelles’ The Constant Gardener (2005), and Tomas Alfredson's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011).

Richard Burton in The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, diva dancing in the background, Directed by Martin Ritt
A Still from The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Overall, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold doesn't merely fulfill the needs of the espionage fans but also exceeds their expectations by some margin. Brilliant from start to finish, here is a tale that’s not only entertaining but also has the power to woo the intelligent audience. The Spy Who Came in From the Cold starts off slowly but gradually picks up pace as the tension starts to grow with each passing second until the very last frame. The viewer who would have felt at home in the early going would suddenly start to feel the noose tightening on him. And the tension may get released after the viewer has witnessed the final scene but its chilling aftereffects would continue to haunt him for a very long time to come. Highly Recommended!

 Readers, please feel free to share your opinion by leaving your comments. As always your feedback is highly appreciated!  
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2 comments:

  1. ArunJuly 17, 2015 at 5:37 PM

    I recently got the chance to watch this classic espionage thriller. It was a spellbinding movie experience. I like how you have compared the groundbreaking work involved here with that of Kubrick's seminal sci-fi. Are there are any modern novelists, who has explored the espionage world as realistic as possible, similar to le Carre's works. Was John Boorman's "Tailor of Panama" a good movie adaptation?

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  2. Murtaza AliJuly 18, 2015 at 10:19 PM

    There have been many decent adaptations of John le Carre's novels. The Russia House (a film whose narrative style inspired Tarantino for Pulp Fiction), Constant Gardener, A Most Wanted Man, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy are all good. Tailor of Panama is actually quite interesting film. While I haven't read the novel I can tell you that the movie is solid. It's not your cutthroat serious espionage but it's delightfully playful espionage with farce and bluff (rush and Brosnan are brilliant to watch). Mind it, Boorman is a terribly underrated filmmaker. Speaking of leCarre, you may also want to check out the BBC TV Series: Smiley's People and Tinker Tailor starring Alec Guinness as George Smiley.

    The Spy Who Came in From the Cold actually succeeded in painting a rather realistic canvas as far as the spy thriller genre was concerned. It added a whole new dimension to the Spy thrillers (as oppose to 007 and earlier Spy films) just like 2001 revolutionized the way Sci-Fi films got made forever. You may want to do your own research as to how the Martin Ritt film proved to be a seminal work in its own right.

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