Operation Manhunt

The Cold War, ideological but non-military conflict between the Soviet Union and its satellite states aligned against disparate values represented by the United States with its allies, greatly affected the entire civilized world, and is generally dated from 1947 through the downfall of the U.S.S.R. at the end of 1991, but its origin is probably the Igor Gouzenko Affair that startled the West in September of 1945 when Gouzenko, a cipher clerk assigned to the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa, defected to the Canadian government, therewith exposing the intentions of the Russians to steal nuclear weapons data from host Canada and also from the neighbouring United States. Gouzenko, along with his wife and children, finds that a middle class pseudonymous existence somewhere in Canada is far more pleasant than would be a return to their Motherland, as his diverting memoirs plainly recount, but Soviet intelligence agents do not cease in their endeavours to locate and silence him, and that is the basis for the plot of this very well-made film that provides a strong feeling of suspense to a viewer. Because virtually no verifiable information is on hand for the depiction of actual events in Gouzenko's life subsequent to his defection, a requisite fictional narrative is skillfully created for this film by Paul Monash, and production values are high for a film with rather limited funding, originally slated to have tandem showings in theatres and for television. The storyline tells of an effort by the head of the Russian spy structure within Canada, Colonel Rostovich (Will Kuluva), to determine the whereabouts of Gouzenko, by contacting his publisher through operative Volov (Jacques Aubuchon), imported from the U.S.S.R. specifically to continue the search for an elusive Gouzenko in order to eliminate him. Volov writes a letter to Gouzenko telling of his admiration for Igor's actions and moral judgement, and additionally of a desire to follow him by fleeing into Canadian hands. Gouzenko, despite the considered skeptical opinion of his publisher and others, in addition to his own misgivings, agrees to see Volov and the tension is palpable as their meeting time nears. A note of realism is struck early on within the film and nearly every frame demonstrates careful attention to detail in a satisfyingly paced work that was initially planned as a quasi-documentary, and there is footage of a hooded Gouzenko proselytizing for the benefit of the camera's eye at the picture's conclusion, but extremely accurate production design, location shooting at actual sites of the historic incidents in and near Montreal, along with outstanding contributions from cast and crew have converted the piece into a superior thriller of the Espionage genre. A viewer might not wish for more from the players as all are adept, with acting laurels here going to Aubuchon for his ably layered performance; renowned European director of photography Ákos Farkas is inventive in his wonted realistic style from the opening scenes; and a felicitous score from English cinema organist Sidney Torch is transposed into an effective descriptive orchestral format by Jack Shaindlin, and incisively edited by Kenneth Hawk. Mackinac Media has completed a singularly fine transfer with this 2006 DVD high-definition mastering of the scarcely known 1954 United Artists original. Both the visuals and the monaural sound are impressively crystalline. Bonus features for the DVD package include the original theatrical trailer, pressbox stills, and informative pressbook facts relevant to the dramatic Igor Gouzenko Affair. Although the 1948 film THE IRON CURTAIN, featuring Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney as Gouzenko and his wife, is a splendid achievement, clearly benefiting from an ample Twentieth Century-Fox budget, OPERATION MANHUNT has its components organized in top-flight fashion, jelling as it proceeds to become an uncommonly well-crafted masterpiece of espionage flavoured suspense.

It's better to read books on this subject...the extra DVD textual material about the life of the real Gouzenko was the best part. I found myself skipping through some talky parts about 40 minutes into it. It has a docudrama style of direction which gets tiresome. The actors playing the Soviets are a bit stiff, but Harry Townes as the defector Igor Gouzenko is good.

Definitely something you have to be in the right mood for. If you like spy stuff, be warned this is no James Bond adventure but rather an apparently fact-based account of an international incident. It's set ten years after Gouzenko's defection to Canada with top-secret Soviet documents in hand.

Good for its type but I can see how it would quickly disinterest a large percentage of viewers.

Igor Gouzenko (Harry Townes) has defected from the Soviet Union and is hiding in Canada. He's been very helpful by giving information to the Canadian authorities and the Soviets are furious about this. So, they've placed a contract out on him and have brought an agent in to find and kill Gouzenko. At the same time, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are trying to protect him and are concerned about assassination. Can they manage to stop this killer or will Gouzenko soon be the victim of the old USSR.

This is just an okay film. It's because you expect a lot more action and excitement from such a movie and its pace is pretty slow. However, it does make it more realistic...just not as cinematic. Watchable but it sure could be better.

This film was planned as a documentary, and its style is definitely documentary all the way, sticking carefully to actual details, everything being filmed on location in Ottawa and Montreal, so there is little space left for acting and cinematography, although Harry Townes portrays Gouzenko very well and makes him perfectly convincing, something between Henry Fonda and Mel Ferrer; and the documentary strictness makes the film notable for meticulous and impeccable realism. This is a sequel to the vitally important "The Iron Curtain" seven years earlier with Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney, which carefully told the whole story of the drama of the defection, so this is valuable as a compliment to that film carefully exposing the consequences of the drama and why Gouzenko practically for the rest of his life had to continue appearing masked whenever he had to make a public performance or put himself visibly at risk.

I know next to nothing about the merits of Director Jack Alexander, but on the evidence of watching OPERATION MANHUNT I must sadly concede that only the very clear and focused B&W photography stayed with me. Albeit simple, straight forward cinematography by Benoit Jobin and Akos Arkas, you get to see the architectural beauty of Ottawa and Montreal, and facial closeups are well done.

That plus aside, there is no much to recommend this film: the actors struck me as rather amateurish, their delivery contrived and wooden, and the script kept repeating the status of Gouzenko. Not that there was excessive dialogue, but far too many sequences with actors strolling around cold streets do nothing to prevent some monotony setting in.

A script short of ideas and seemingly not sure where it is heading cannot possibly serve any film well - OPERATION suffers from it and a quite a few other shortcomings., including some 10-15 minutes longer than it needed to be.

I doubt I will revisit it. 6/10.