Der Fall Cicero

This is one of the great spy films. Mason gives his trademark cool, expert performance as a slippery, suave spy for the Nazis. The story is one of 20th Century Fox's series of documentary-style films based on real events during World War II.

The sense of danger and suspense is well handled, and the conclusion is Shakespearian in irony. This is a minor classic -- minor simply because few people know about it. See it if you get the chance.

Supposedly based on a true story, a valet uses his position at British embassy to steal WWII secrets to sell to the Germans.

What a superbly tight script that stays on the compelling track the whole time. We watch lowly valet Diello (Mason) use nothing but wits and guts to outmaneuver both the British and the Germans. He's not a sympathetic lead character, always unusual for a Hollywood production (TCF). But you can't help admiring his ability to outwit the professionals, even if he is completely self-centered.

I get the feeling Diello sees himself as a natural born aristocrat denied that position by the fortunes of birth. So, by golly, he's going to use those talents to get the wealth and position he deserves, but which European society has denied him.

Mason is simply superb in a tailor-made part. He projects both the icy intelligence and curt politeness that the role requires. I sweated a bucket load when the cleaning lady rummages around the closet, while Diello photographs embassy secrets. If she finds the power switch, he's toast. Great scene.

Note too, how there're no obvious good guys-bad guys, also unusual for a WWII drama. The British are slightly favored, but at least the Germans aren't caricatured. It's more like one opportunist (Diello) is exploiting both sides impartially, and they're both after him.

Then too, what guy wouldn't lose his head over the delectable Darrieux, even a guy as calculating as Diello. All of which makes the ending one of the most ironically satisfying in movie annals. I'm betting this was one of the best films to come out of that spare movie year of 1952. So if you haven't seen it, do.

Up till recently I had never seen 5 Fingers, for some reason it is rarely shown on television. But in watching it I knew why Alfred Hitchcock had cast James Mason as villainous Philip Van Damm in North By Northwest. His role as Diello in 5 Fingers, the Albanian spy for profit, is apparently what Hitchcock saw before casting his film.

The setting of this is Ankara, capital of neutral Turkey in World War II. Mason is the valet of the British ambassador there and an Albanian national. He's hit upon a scheme to enrich himself with a little espionage.

Mason hits the jackpot with the secret plans for Overlord, the location and operation of the Allied invasion of Europe. He pulls off the caper of all time, but things go quite awry after that. Former employer Countess Danielle Darrieux does him wrong in a very big way.

Michael Rennie is fine as the intrepid British counter intelligence agent and the other outstanding performance is John Weingraf as Franz Von Papen the German Ambassador to Turkey at the time. He wasn't called the Fox for nothing.

If you enjoyed James Mason in that Hitchcock classic, you will not want to miss 5 Fingers.

I remember reading the book on which this film is based more than fifty years ago, as well as seeing it when it was first released. I have just viewed it again and want to encourage others to see it. It is well crafted in every respect -- taut direction, superb performances, and a very fine screenplay. This film deserves more recognition.

Here we have s spy-thriller that is not just like any other. First of all the main character is not working for the 'good guys', which already was a surprising move to take for this movie.

Reason why this movie tells this particular story, is because it's all being based on a true story, that was a quite remarkable one. An Albanian born guy, who worked for the British embassy in Turkey, becoming a spy for Nazi Germany during WW II, just simply for the money. It doesn't try to romanticize anything and it doesn't ever want to make you care for its main character but it's simply telling a story, in a rather good and compelling way.

It's not a slick or very exciting spy-thriller. Instead it's more of a talkative one, that is being kept deliberately straightforward and small and simple with all of its settings and characters. No doubt this was all also due to budget reasons but it's something that works out well for the movie eventually, as well as for its overall style and tense atmosphere.

It's a movie that lets its actors do most of the work, to tell its story with. And the movie has plenty of fine actors in it, that carry this movie and have the right required charisma and talent for it. James Mason is really good as a smooth talking and looking spy, who is not necessarily likable but he is a very interesting character, which makes you want to keep watching.

It's also a movie you need to keep on paying attention to, or else you will most likely miss an important aspect about its story. In that regard this is not a movie for just everybody but having said that, it still has plenty of entertainment and excitement to over as well. It just is not what this entire movie was all about and you shouldn't watch this movie expecting a thriller, with plenty of chases or shootouts in it.

An ultimately very rewarding movie.

8/10

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