Conspirator

I hate the word "dated", because it can only sensibly apply to a work in which the characters or plot don't reflect the era.

So, actually, what most of the internet educated IMDb users claim to be "dated" are often the only films not "dated". "Dated" means watching a movie about Wyatt Earp, and getting the feeling he has played video games instead of thinking about local events.

Here, we have a film that is definitely not dated. It deals with a handsome Communist spy who has to work his dealings around his personal life.

Robert Taylor's character is very credible, and multi dimensional. If this movie was made by one of the beavis and buttheads of today, he'd simply kill everyone who coughed when he told a lie. Yes, you're right. This would mean the world population would be zero humans within a month, and it makes no sense.

Here, in "Conspirator", he is a real person, and so is his wife, who is onto him. In dramatic style, they still want to work their relationship, and honestly, this is what people do, when they find something out about each other. Real people don't murder each other each time they find out a secret about each other.

We're shown early that the pace of the film skips over minor details, which modern writers deem so important. In one sense, some would say that "dates" this film, since it is more plot oriented, more Shakespeare than Tennessee Williams. Intricacies aren't explored as much. We're given the story line and the story, and the length of the movie allows for that.

Is it completely perfect? I don't think so. However, the characters are more credible for the time than people today can handle, so it probably isn't safe to show friends. People will have a problem with the iconoclastic attitude towards today's "everyone is a psychotic killer" philosophy.

This is as much a response to samhill5215's review of CONSPIRATOR as it is a review of the film itself. Sam Hill seems to think that paranoia about Soviet infiltration of the West was unjustified, even though around the same time this film was being made (1949) the Rosenbergs were selling nuclear secrets to the Russians and Philby was funneling intel to them from his perch over in England.

Sam wonders why Elizabeth Taylor's character -- who the film paints as being naive and apolitical -- would be rattled to discover that she'd married a Soviet spy. I wonder if Sam would be making the same observation if the time line were adjusted to World War II and Taylor had learned her husband was a Nazi.

I suppose it matters not to Sam that Mao and Stalin together killed approximately 94 million people.

94. Million.

Nine-four, Sam. Million. The number is beyond staggering. It defies belief.

Adolph Hitler, one of the most evil humans of the 20th century, was a piker by comparison.

But according to Sam, regardless of this kind of unprecedented barbarity, Liz's character was just a Silly Billy to care so much.

Unbelievable.

The movie itself is okay, but far from great. It's well photographed and professionally acted... the story is intriguing... but it all feels rather insubstantial, as if several important scenes were missing.

Perhaps it got butchered in the editing room.

Too bad. Like samhill's review.

Robert Taylor was always considered a handsome actor and not a great actor. In fact he was fascinating to watch in the few color Westerns and costume dramas that he did towards the end of his career.

"Conspirator" is an exceptional film that allowed him to be a dashing villain--somewhat like his roles in "Undercurrent" and as the anti-hero in "Ride, Vaquero". What was interesting to note some 53 years after the film was made was the undeniable fact that Robert Taylor stole the scenes from Elizabeth Taylor, who undeniably proved to be a great actress in later films in her Burton years.

The Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde format of the story allowed Taylor to give a glimpse of what he could do on screen even when the story of a bumbling spy who was a senior army officer insults the average moviegoers' intelligence.

Fans of early and obscure Elizabeth Taylor vehicles can't get much more obscure than this early cold-war drama set in 1949 London. As a Yank in postwar Britain, she meets and falls for another Taylor, Robert, dashing in his uniform. Once married, however, hubby grows secretive and borderline abusive, and is forever disappearing on mysterious nighttime errands. Playfully kibitzing, young Liz stumbles onto the truth that he's a Soviet operative, possibly the clumsiest and most careless ever. Orders come down that he must eliminate her.... About two-thirds of the way through, this tepid romance decides it's going to be a Suspicion-like thriller, and not a moment too soon. But it has its moments (the male Taylor covering his tracks as he takes the tube to an assignation, for instance) and reflects the rather restrained concerns of the British Empire in the wake of the Gouzenko defection in Ottawa in 1945.

In this Cold War suspense drama from MGM and director Victor Saville, Melinda (Elizabeth Taylor) falls in love at first sight with British military officer Major Michael Curragh (Robert Taylor). They are soon wed and she couldn't be happier, only Michael has a secret: he's a spy working with the Soviets to steal British military secrets. He struggles to keep his double life a secret, but Melinda is the inquisitive sort, and Michael's handlers aren't too happy with the situation.

This is one of the first post war movies to feature the Soviets as the villains, taking the place of the usual Nazis. I guess it's appropriate that staunch conservative Robert Taylor should star. He's not too awful, still stiff as a board as usual, but a little expressive at times. His style is reminiscent of the 1930's, with his super-slick hair and pencil mustache, which only adds to one issue with the movie: the age difference between he and Liz. Robert was 38 and Liz was all of 16 years old when this was filmed, although she has the poise of an older woman. I was surprised to see Honor Blackman, later of TV's The Avengers and James Bond fame. I wasn't really aware that she acted this far back, but she was older than I thought, too; she was 23 when this was filmed. As for the movie itself, it's not terrible, but not very memorable, either. An adequate time-waster.