Review of The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965) by Billy H — 29 Mar 2012
What is the obsession of awarding old films high marks, simply because they are old? Is it some kind of misplaced sentimentality for a "golden age of film" that didn't actually exist? Judged by today's standards this film is inferior on all levels.
The acting is bland and forced to the point where even the physical movements are awkward to watch. Martin Ritt is terrible with angles, and his cut-scene choices are hair-pulling bad. The only saving grace is that this film is based on a brilliant John Le Carre novel, but even then it took not just one inept Hollywood screenwriter but two to butcher it.
All moments of escalating tension that were conveyed in the novel are lost in this screen adaptation. By all accounts the modern day Le Carre adaptation Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a superior film to watch compared to this drivel.
Leave it behind in the 60s and move on.
This review of The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965) was written by Billy H on 29 Mar 2012.
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold has generally received very positive reviews.
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