Haute trahison

The early 1950s saw a ton of anti-communism movies. In the US, such films tended to be sensationalistic and broad....but "High Treason" is different...and in good ways. Instead of being exciting and BIG, the film stresses realism...and it won me over as a result.

The film begins with a bombing. Someone or group of people has apparently been terrorizing Britain by blowing up various factories....but why? Well, it ends up being the work of a group of dedicated spies....and their plans for violence and terror have only just begun. Can the law catch up to them before it's too late?

It's interesting that no where in the film do they talk about communism nor the Soviet Union...never. Instead, they just focus on the investigative process and show, in a very realistic manner, how such an investigation might be conducted. As a result, the authorities are NOT geniuses with super-human abilities...just dedicated and crafty. This is THE reason I loved the film and recommend it to you.

This is a film which I can never remember seeing on TV.Unfortunately it seems as relevant today as when it was made as there have been terrorist campaigns since and sadly at this present time.However what is so ironic about this film is that people were lead ,wrongly to believe,that the security services were on top of the situation,whereas Burgess,MacLean and Ogilvy were happily giving secrets away to the Soviets.Of course they couldn't be guilty,they went to Oxbridge.The film is extremely well written and directed.

A really splendid Cold War thriller full of good London location shots showing scenes in the capital that have sadly gone forever.There are no star names,just first rate character players some of whom no British films are complete without. Special mention should be made of the Irish actor Liam Redmond who wonderfully underplays his role as the Commander with his dry wit and quizzical smile.To me, this is possibly his best film. It seems such a great shame that this film is seldom (if ever) shown on Britsh TV. I came across it in a second hand shop issued as part of a British Classics video collection. It's a great pity that this superb picture is not more well known.

This is a great film, with a decent plot and wonderful location work, not least in the Battersea Power Station climax, as well as claustrophobic interior work, especially in the Ellis electrical shop.

Whether or not the red menace was ever plausible in this sense, there was enough friction to make it a reasonable starting point for a thriller (it's more likely than an invasion from outer space, surely). I suspect it is only the anti-Communist message that caused the film to be totally neglected; I have never seen this on British television, and only found it on DVD. No other film of this quality and style has been so effectively hidden for so long.

What is really worth emphasising is the brilliance of the cast. I can honestly think of no other British film boasting so many familiar faces - there is a period of about 20 minutes in the middle where every scene produces another well-known actor doing a cameo. The 19 billed players are pretty recognisable, but what other film could additionally include, uncredited, Jean Anderson, Alfie Bass, Harry Fowler, Everley Gregg, Peter Jones, Moultrie Kelsall, Sam Kydd, Harry Locke, Victor Maddern, Dandy Nichols, Marianne Stone and Lockwood West, and those were only the ones I spotted. The IMDb cast list includes several others that I will have to look for on a second viewing.

Exciting, Constantly On-the-Move.

This Overlooked Early-50's British Cold-War Thriller Never Lulls.

Introducing a Multitude of Characters, Spys, Counter-Intelligence Officers, and Every-Day Folks Caught in the Middle.

It's a Multifaceted Sabotage Plot.

The Fast-Paced Film is Well Acted and Shot.

With a Plethora of Outdoor Scenes, Close-Knit Indoor Meetings of the Plotters and Counter-Plotters.

An Intelligent Script Accompanies the Mystery and Intrigue.

The Movie is a Sequel, Made by the Same Production Team that did..."Seven Days to Noon" (1950).

The Director's Production Team-Mate and Brother, John Bolton, Did one of the Best British Film-Noirs, "Brighton Rock" (1948).

This is a Crackling "Communist" Infiltration Movie.

Although, Communist, Reds, of Soviet-Union is Never Explicitly Stated.

Only its Philosophy and Politics.

Cold-War Movies from the Early 50's, a Heart-Beat Away Joe McCarthy and All, Doesn't Get Much Better.

The Conclusion in the Industrial Sector Doesn't Hold Back on Thrills and Spares No Expense in its Verisimilitude.

Breathtaking, and a Must-See.