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.
Nominated for 2 Oscars. 10 wins & 5 nominations total
Top Critics Reviews
rotten:
Grim, monotonous, and rather facile, though Richard Burton's aging agent has some honest poignancy.
– Dave Kehr,
Chicago Reader,
1 Jan 2000
fresh:
The film makes you believe it could have happened. And that's the remarkable thing.
– Bosley Crowther,
New York Times,
9 May 2005
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.
– Geoff Andrew,
Time Out,
9 Feb 2006
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.