Matrixston Wow! Such a good movie.

EssenceStory Well Deserved Praise

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Mischa Redfern I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

AlexMedario Even that the film is fine it's years light distance from the book, so many things get behind !! But letting aside unfair comparison with a spectacular novel, the film deserves some praising.First at all is that a complicated plot is masterfully exposed, you get to understand it without being a genius. And this is not trivial matter, because usually spy films get too confused and wrapped into incoherence. A high qualification for the script, is clear enough. Richard Burton plays an excellent character, he stares the rest of the characters and even being the film black and white his expression and his light eyes make an impression.

LiquidPoetry1921 On the advice of a friend who loved this movie, I spent my Saturday afternoon sticking with it even when my better judgment said to turn it off. And, I really wish listened to my intuition because when the credits rolled I felt like I had just wasted two hours of my life on this VERY dated and incredibly convoluted film.Perhaps 50 years ago when it was first released it might have been considered intriguing and suspenseful. But today I just found it to be an incredible bore.

chris I am a massive fan of John le Carre's books. I always worry when they are adapted into movies that they will not be able to capture the complexity of his story lines. It wasn't until recently that I stumbled across this movie and decided to watch it. I was very happy overall with the adaptation. I still feel that there hasn't been a le Carre adaptation yet made that matches the complexity of his books - but from the book itself this movie did itself justice in the period it was filmed. Richard Burton was excellent as Alec Leamus - he exacted the role of the dark and brooding spy with maximum effect. His acting gave it the weight that I would have expected from the novel. The supporting characters - particularly Oskar Werner also did a great job in the adaptation. It is dated compared to modern thrillers and espionage movies - but many of the scenes totally encapsulate the original story line. I still think that a modern re make done the right way could do further justice to this incredibly twisted story line - but this adaptation exceeded my expectancy level with it's superb acting. You definitely need to pick the right time to watch it - it does require keen attention. But when you do it's worthy viewing and strong acting performances render it an underrated success.

JasparLamarCrabb Martin Ritt's film of the John le Carré novel features a brilliant performance by Richard Burton. As a burned out spy given one last shot at bringing in a notorious Russian enemy, Burton is astounding. His physical & emotional exhaustion show in his face, his body language and every step he takes. It's a performance that reminds one of how great an actor Burton could be. He's ably assisted by the likes of Oskar Werner, Claire Bloom, Michael Hordern and Peter van Eyck. Ritt's tight direction and the stark B&W cinematography by the great Oswald Morris help to make this film one of the masterpieces of the 1960s. The music score (very sparse!) is by Sol Kaplan. The cast also includes Cyril Cusak, Sam Wanamaker and, in an early incarnation of le Carré's George Smiley, Rupert Davies.