A British-American Cold War spy thriller directed by John Huston and starring Paul Newman, fresh from their successful cooperation
on The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean. This has been described as the first anti-spy film, and was not as successful and
appreciated as Huston’s other films at the time of its release. However,
the fact that the plot seems complicated and sometimes confusing is only
one of its many charms!
Newman plays Reardon, a British secret agent who assumes a fictitious criminal identity and allows himself to
be caught, imprisoned and freed in order to infiltrate a spy
organisation. Following the successful breakout, Reardon finds himself
drugged and sent to (Huston’s beloved) Ireland. Starring a young
Dominique Sanda and some of the great British actors of the time,
including James Mason – as the bad guy, of course.
Film details
Productieland
USA
Jaar
1973
Festivaleditie
IFFR 2019
Lengte
98'
Medium/Formaat
35mm
Taal
English
Première status
None
Director
John Huston
Sales / World rights holder
Park Circus Limited
Producer
John Foreman
Production company
Newman-Foreman Company
Screenplay
Walter Hill, William Fairchild, Gerald Hanley, Gladys Hill, Alan Moorehead
Cinematography
Oswald Morris
Editing
Russell Lloyd
Production design
Terry Marsh
Sound design
Basil Fenton-Smith, Gerry Humphreys, Peter Desbois
Music
Maurice Jarre
Principal cast
Paul Newman, Dominique Sanda, James Mason, Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Michael Hordern, Nigel Patrick