L'espion

Watching these German-made 1966 Cold War film starring the doomed Montgomery Clift brought tears to my eyes. Being a Monty fan I just had to see this film & did in 1966. I was nothing more then a pre-teen, but it was clear to me that Monty had fallen on hard times. Little did I know that the Defector would be his final screen performance.

The story is typical of the 1960s Cold War spy films. Monty gave his usual outstanding performance, regardless of the lousy screenplay and shoestring budget. He was supported in fine style by German actor Hardy Krueger. Above average movie which most likely would be more interesting to view today in light of the historical value of the film being the last for Monty.

A sad ending for an outstanding actor.

This movie is one of those that you never heard of, but you should have. It pulls you in through excellent direction and authentic dialect and location shooting. This movie could very well be a documentary of a real cold war scenario. Those who are interested in espionage and intrigue should enjoy this movie. Get the popcorn ready and sit back for the duration.

Montgomery Clift was entering the final months of his life when he shot this film and it's kind of depressing to see how fragile he looks. In medium shots he doesn't look too bad, but when the camera gets in close you can see the gauntness, the way the skin looks parchment-thin across his cheeks. His fingers are orange from nicotine and, even without knowing that he was trying to use this film as an audition for the Brando role in Reflections in a Golden Eye, you can sense a trace of desperation in his eyes. His career was hanging by a thread and he knew it.

The film tells a dour, jaundiced cold war espionage tale in a way that was quite fashionable in its day. It does well in capturing the austere mood of a communist bloc country and the location photography is interesting, but the story is very slow and there really isn't much to it until the final couple of reels. The scene which encapsulates the entire film consists of Clift and Hardy Kruger talking at a table and Clift's contribution to the conversation is mostly to repeatedly ask for his passport. The contrast (and conflict) of their respective countries' ideologies could (and has) make for an interesting subtext for a film, but its treatment is too dour here. There are nice touches, and an expectation on the part of the filmmakers of a degree of attention and intelligence on the part of their audience, but it never really succeeds in its objectives.

I really enjoyed this gem. I gave it a go despite the mixed reviews, in part because I was interested in Clift's performance. I'm glad I did. I've reached a certain point in life: I cannot finish watching movies I feel are mediocre, and even those movies I decide to watch often put me to sleep. This movie is well beyond mediocre, and I was wide awake for all of it.

The Defector has the feel of other cold-war spy flicks of the era: dry, dark, and pessimistic (words that also describe Clift's performance). It's filmed in color but feels as though it should have been b/w: gray is better suited to these movies. Of course, there are touches of warmth and beauty, including a love affair and the self-sacrifice of good people to a higher cause. I thought the ending interesting: I won't give it away but keep an eye out for what I believe to be a telling glance between Roddy McDowell and another man. I almost missed it....

"The Defector," from 1966, is of interest because it was the last film of one of Hollywood's finest actors, and one of its most tragic, Montgomery Clift. He died not long after filming was completed, at the age of 45.

Here Clift plays James Bower, a physicist from the U.S. currently visiting West Germany. He's recruited, or should we say threatened with no more grants for his work, to help the CIA in the defection of a Russian scientist. The scientist will only talk to Bower. In truth, both sides want stolen microfilm, and Bower has an agent on his tail who knows he will receive the microfilm.

This film sort of goes nowhere; there were lots of cold war and spy films during the '60s, some serious, some spoofs, and many are better than this. There's a laziness about it rather than a tension. Clift does a very good job. He's super-thin, and if you have followed him in films, it's easy to see that he is not a well man and that his career is in tatters. He remains handsome, though as he did in so many post-accident films, he slurs his words. He gives a relaxed performance; but the fact is that he was probably out of it.

This film didn't need relaxation, it needed an urgency, and it doesn't have it. Nevertheless, filmed on location, the atmosphere is right, and there is a pervasive darkness.

There are many people who become addicted to painkillers after sustaining horrible injuries. Montgomery Clift was one of them, and the situation was exacerbated by drinking and health problems. He remains an important actor in Hollywood history, a man with a brilliant career that petered out way too soon. The Defector isn't really representative of what he could do, but I'd rather have it than nothing at all.