Shining Through

Shining Through has everything one could ask for in a movie -- big stars, great acting, suspense, drama, and a fine score. But first and foremost, Shining Through is all about Melanie Griffith, the only real female mega-star of our time (sorry, Julia). This is one of Melanie's meatiest roles and she is at her absolute peak of physical beauty. I'll admit she may not be the greatest actress to grace the silver screen but she does a wonderful job here and I am certain that this performance will win over many of her detractors. Although the secretary-from-Queens-becomes-international-WWII-spy premise might strain credibility a bit, once you get into it you can sit back and enjoy the ride.

Michael Douglas is superb, as always. I was also blown away by Joely Richardson as Margrete and wish that her relationship with our Melanie could have been developed further. Would love to see more of her! Liam Neeson seemed a little too wimpy for a high-ranking German Officer but, what the hell, it's only a movie. Ludwig Haas's portrayal of Adolf Hitler marked the crowning achievement in his long and distinguished career -- a far sight better than his appearance in Zärtliche Chaoten.

Bottom line from Claudia: A real movie-lover's movie.

Melanie Griffith plays Linda, a jewish American girl who volunteered to enter Nazi Germany as a spy. She tells her story in flashback, an old woman relating her adventures to a BBC documentary crew.

Griffith is improbable as the shrewd, resourceful, bilingual Linda. Her 'all-American girl' style of delivery is grating and inappropriate. Michael Douglas, as Ed Leland, makes a passable spy hero, but his character's unwillingness to learn the German language doesn't make any kind of sense, given that he spends most of his working life strutting around Berlin in a Nazi uniform. Sir John Gielgud plays 'Sunflower', 'our' agent in Berlin. Gielgud goes through the motions, as Gielgud usually does, without acting at all. Otto Dietrich, the high-ranking Nazi, is played fairly convincingly and with dignity by Liam Neeson. Joely Richardson is reasonable, even if her character (Margrete von Everstein) is a welter of ill-thought-out nonsense.

David Seltzer wrote and directed this rather lame thriller, and packed it with historical inaccuracies and implausible plot points. The teenage Linda is asked in the course of her job interview to stand and give a twirl, so that the men can get a look at her. She refuses on feminist grounds. This is simply unbelievable, and shows a complete lack of sympathy for the mores and attitudes of a historical period which doesn't happen to be the present day.

Cliche bogs this movie down and robs it of any sense of freshness or vitality that it might have had. For no very good reason, we get a sombre 'Pearl Harbor' moment, even though America's entry into the war is irrelevant to the plot. Espionage in Germany means that the German and spy-movie stereotypes have to be trotted out, so apfel strudel, schnapps and the microfilming of secret documents all find their way into the story. Nazi border guards just have to have slavering alsatian dogs.

Part of the film's problem is a clumsy script which contains some horribly clunking lines. Such mouthfuls as, "What 's a war for, if not to hold onto what we love?" grate on the ear. The German security forces are referred to in heavy-handed purple prose as "Hitler's dreaded stormtroopers".

Continuing the run of blatant improbabilities, Sunflower and Linda board a German train and immediately start discussing Drescher in English - two mind-boggling lapses in security. And would Sunflower use the polite 'ihre' form when addressing a working-class girl?

In order to give the plot some dramatic contours, events are introduced which could never have happened in real life. The film sacrifices credibility for the sake of a cheap shot.

The finale at the border crossing is too silly to merit criticism.

I love this film! I know it is widely panned by critics and movie-goers alike, but I love it. Sure, it has implausible elements in the story, but the relationship between Ed Leland (played stoically by Michael Douglas) and his lady love, Linda Voss (played seductively by Melanie Griffith) is thrilling. Joely Richardson plays a complicated character who provides some interesting plot points. Melanie, who isn't known for subtlety, gives a rich and layered performance, especially in the development of the romantic storyline. Michael Douglas is a bit over the top, playing the stolid soldier and unlikely spy to the hilt. Liam Neeson is amazingly handsome and charismatic -- despite playing for the other side as a top Nazi officer. It's a fun recreation of the 1940s romance-war-spy dramas -- exciting and definitely romantic. Romance is the focus of this drama, not the spy plot. Watch the relationships unfold and it won't disappoint. It's worth a second look by many. Give it another try!

I saw this movie on BRAVO and absolutely loved it. So what if it is unrealistic? It is a movie, after all. If you want reality, rent a documentary or watch the History Channel. It reminds me of an old black and white film from the 40's like "Notorious", "Saboteur", or something of that nature.(Probably one of the reasons I liked it so much.)The suspense was wonderful, as was the romance between Linda and Ed. My eyes were glued to the television from beginning to end, and it left me in a happy state of shock. Even reading the book--which was quite different--didn't change my mind about loving the movie. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a two hour escape from the real world... especially someone looking for a good romance. I still get palpitations thinking about the closing scene. Sigh.

This will be a short review. I have seen a lot of pro and con on this movie, but almost all of the con's talk of the unbelievable plot. I will give you that the plot has some problems, and if this was a serious spy movie, then I'd be there with you, but that is not what this film is. This film is a total romance with some action thrown in. If you watch it and see how two people will risk all they have for each other because they are in love then you will enjoy this film. Sure there are holes in the plot...but not in the romance. Melanie is very likable in this movie and I think there is great chemistry! If you don't scrutinize the plot so much you may even find yourself routing for them as they cross the Swiss border.