The Deadly Affair

It is surprising that a film made in London during the late 60s wouldn't expose at least a part of the swinging town it was.In fact it exposes a dark, terribly somber atmosphere. Mr. Freddie Francis' wonderful photography and Lumet's masterful direction of the terrific cast makes this adaptation of the John Le Carre novel both interesting and thoughtful. It succeeds in showing, as Lumet aimed, life's disappointments... it seems that bitterness, vengeance and discontent are the motivations to all characters.

It's a simple plot that unravels with so much complexity, you will be amazed. A British Intelligence Agent tries to solve the mystery involved behind one of his colleagues' apparent suicide. Soon his wife comes along and... well, you really don't want me to tell you... :)

It also features one of the greatest soundtracks in film history, with a smooth use of Quincy Jones' bossa nova theme song, which Astrud Gilberto sings in the movie's most fierce love (?) scene.

Glum London backdrops and washed-out color match British secret agent Charles Dobbs' (James Mason) despair at the infidelity of his nymphomaniac wife, and the possible murder of a likable and idealistic Foreign Office civil servant.

Slightly dated yet still exciting cold war spy thriller combines the talents of James Mason, Sidney Lumet, and a fine supporting cast, though John LeCarre might wonder what happened to the novel the movie is based on.

There isn't a hint of 'Swinging London'; the relationships and a gay subtext, played out on several levels, are handled maturely and without an invitation to snicker.

You've been conversing with a man, later he's dead, a suicide, but you need to close the thread, so you visit his cold wife, find out more about his life, but the yarn is frayed, you can't put this to bed. You're resigned to make your own examinations, retired copper then assists, investigations, you pursue the clues, prepare, a cunning trap so you can snare, a red flag spy, using your guile, and circumspection.

Even today it plants you back into the time of its enactment, you feel the frostiness of the times, as well as the emotional disconnection, encapsulated in a world of mistrust. James Mason plays a himself, as so often he did, Simone Signoret the unemotional widow, Harriet Andersson not in a Bergman film is a bit strange, and who'd want to meet Harry Andrews on a dark, misty night if they'd been up to no good.

Much-touted mainstream entry recommended to serious spy buffs as a well-crafted, bleak treatise on perceived realities. Deeper than many other spy films, the pleasure is derived from sifting through the strata of meaning in John Le Carre's story and reveling in the fine performances and top-notch film making.

This is one of those movies where you'll recognize all the actors; Harry Andrews, Roy Kinnear, Robert Flemyng, Lynn Redgrave, David Warner, etc. One standout is Simone Signoret as Elsa, a woman without a country, who scorns Dobbs and his attempts at clearing up the death of her husband. A concentration camp survivor, Elsa has no illusions about patriotism nor allegiances in that regard, remarking to Dobbs `I am a battlefield for you… toy soldiers."

Quincy Jones plays some fun cinematic tricks with the soundtrack (Astrud Gilberto sings the theme song) and it is appropriately melancholy for the material. Director Sidney Lumet is in fine form here and through the half-light of Freddie Young's cinematography is revealed the gray world beneath our intricately constructed lives.

The only reason I have cable is for Turner Classic Movies, and the chance to see, uncut, unedited, uninterrupted; flicks like this. The film is as stated very leisurely paced, but good (bordering on great) performances, a taut, very adult script, and an absolute joy of a soundtrack by the great Quincy Jones keep you watching. Makes this a leisurely stroll you enjoy taking. Listen to the music in the scenes between James Mason and his erstwhile wife [I won't even tell you what's going on between those two, it's just one of the most understated treatments of this subject, and that understatement gives it an outrageous power, as you are just completely agape at James Mason's... restraint] , Quincy is doing magical things. A movie where the parts, make the sum worth watching. Recommended.