The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) – M. Ritt

Exceedingly grey picture, both visually and in tone.  Richard Burton is Leamas who has been running Britain’s East German operations, until his primary double agent/defector is killed and he is called in by Control.  Therein lies the seed of a new plot, to oust the enemy agent who killed the defector, with Burton asked to pretend he has been called on the carpet, demoted, and as a result embittered enough to defect himself.  He gives a tired hangdog performance.  Claire Bloom gets dragged into things as his love interest, who is flirting with communism in a youthful idealistic way.  The plot seems straightforward but it is not and we learn, unsurprisingly, the wicked lengths to which spy agencies will go to achieve their ends. A slow burner.