L'affaire Cicéron

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.

This film is far from forgotten. Fans of James Mason and director Joseph L. Mankiewicz know it well. It's one of the most intelligent spy thrillers ever thanks to an Oscar-winning screenplay by Michael Wilson ("Bridge on the River Kwai," "Lawrence of Arabia," and the original "Planet of the Apes"). It also has a score by Bernard Herrmann. What else do you need? Other comments here have told what the plot is, so all I'll say is I envy you if haven't seen it yet and plan to. It's gripping and enjoyable all the way, and wonderfully ironic.

I'd never heard of this film when I tuned in to the History channel of all places, hoping for a diversion. I was immediately caught up in this suspenseful and well-acted TRUE STORY of how and why the Nazis obtained advance knowledge of the D-Day invasion, but made no use of it. Some of the most implausible aspects of this fictionalized account - the delicious surprise twist at the end - are TRUE! One of my film guides informed me that "5 Fingers" won the '53 Golden Globe for its excellent screenplay. The highlights of the witty script include the interplay of James Mason, as the suave valet I couldn't help rooting for, and Danielle Darrieux, as the penniless yet glamourously seductive Countess Staviska. The acting of these two is top-notch; the supporting cast is consistently strong, and the Turkish location shooting gives it body. And the direction, by Joseph Mankiewicz is solid. This is a film about which you will ask, as I did: "Why Haven't I Heard of THIS one Before!?!"

Another great performance by James Mason - he is wonderful as the brainy, underestimated valet of the British Ambassador to Turkey who feeds invaluable information to the Nazis for a price. The betrayals and counter-betrayals throughout make this a terrific suspense film. As usual, I find myself hoping that James Mason will get away with his crimes, even in spite of the despicable nature of his treachery and to whom he is betraying his secrets. The ending is satisfying in the most perfect way.

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.