The Deadly Affair on DVD (1966)

A customer from Auchterarder , 28/12/2006

Based on John le Carré’s novel, 'Call For the Dead,' this is a tale with the usual ingredients : political tapdancing, international intrigue (highlighted by the presence of both Simone Signoret and Maximillian Schell) and a good old cosy murder mystery. The film is one of the more successful transitions to the screen of le Carré’s novels, unlike many of his other works which read so well but have suffered from the Hollywood treatment. The setting is a precursor of the Smiley stories (Tinker, Tailor, etc and Smiley’s People) and James Mason is a thoroughly believable Smiley, even though his name here is “Dobbs,” and Harriet Andersson is credible as his feckless wife.

Made in the 1960s it captures a lot of the peripheral mind-and-eye-candy of the age: a young and pretty Lynn Redgrave in big hair, a theatre production of Marlowe’s 'Edward II' with an even younger and more beautiful David Warner (uncredited) in the title role, all merely serving as backdrop to the more imposing conversations and acting going on in front of the play. (Look out for Timothy West, Max Adrian and Corin Redgrave) There are also the flattering feminine fashions from the era, including London itself clothed in thick fog and relentless rain, and a music score from Quincy Jones with Astrid Gilberto singing the title song (it was, after all, the time of the ‘Girl From Impanema’). The mundane interiors (a relief from the usual glossy pap of today) are therefore more realistic in this collage and the prevailing atmosphere is one of mystery, be it the real crime or the subtext within the liaisons of Mason/Anderssen and Signoret/Schell. Cameo roles from greats like Roy Kinnear and Kenneth Haig round out the magic, but the show is stolen by the magnificent Harry Andrews as a retired Cockney Cop who is roped in to assist Mason with his investigation into the death of a foreign office official. Curl up on the potato couch with a fleecy blanket and cup of cocoa and wallow in the charm of this nostalgic thriller.

  8 out of 8 people found this review helpful

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A customer from Oxford , 28/05/2007

Excellent, understated and gritty spy story. James Mason and the rest of the cast are all excellent. The gloomy London backdrop perfectly matches the mood of the film. It gives just enough away to get you guessing, but there's no great twist at the end to surpise.

  2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

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ealingfan from Keighley [Highly rated reviewer] , 17/02/2008

A good film in the mould of classic English spy drama where the story is more important than the special effects or actors. A Harry Palmer style story that is gripping throughout. In some ways sad the cold war has ended as these films will become in some ways meaningless as time goes on. A great piece of acting from James Mason

  1 out of 1 person found this review helpful

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A customer from Bristol, England , 14/10/2007

I rented this film for my parents to watch. Though nowhere near as good as the Hitchcock thriller North By Northwest in which James Mason starred, it is still quite a good movie nevertheless.

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A customer from Auchterarder , 28/12/2006

Based on John le Carré’s novel, 'Call For the Dead,' this is a tale with the usual ingredients : political tapdancing, international intrigue (highlighted by the presence of both Simone Signoret and Maximillian Schell) and a good old cosy murder mystery. The film is one of the more successful transitions to the screen of le Carré’s novels, unlike many of his other works which read so well but have suffered from the Hollywood treatment. The setting is a precursor of the Smiley stories (Tinker, Tailor, etc and Smiley’s People) and James Mason is a thoroughly believable Smiley, even though his name here is “Dobbs,” and Harriet Andersson is credible as his feckless wife.

Made in the 1960s it captures a lot of the peripheral mind-and-eye-candy of the age: a young and pretty Lynn Redgrave in big hair, a theatre production of Marlowe’s 'Edward II' with an even younger and more beautiful David Warner (uncredited) in the title role, all merely serving as backdrop to the more imposing conversations and acting going on in front of the play. (Look out for Timothy West, Max Adrian and Corin Redgrave) There are also the flattering feminine fashions from the era, including London itself clothed in thick fog and relentless rain, and a music score from Quincy Jones with Astrid Gilberto singing the title song (it was, after all, the time of the ‘Girl From Impanema’). The mundane interiors (a relief from the usual glossy pap of today) are therefore more realistic in this collage and the prevailing atmosphere is one of mystery, be it the real crime or the subtext within the liaisons of Mason/Anderssen and Signoret/Schell. Cameo roles from greats like Roy Kinnear and Kenneth Haig round out the magic, but the show is stolen by the magnificent Harry Andrews as a retired Cockney Cop who is roped in to assist Mason with his investigation into the death of a foreign office official. Curl up on the potato couch with a fleecy blanket and cup of cocoa and wallow in the charm of this nostalgic thriller.

  8 out of 8 people found this review helpful

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IanStewart from Melton Mowbray [Highly rated reviewer] , 05/07/2008

This film doesn't just recreate the 1960s - it IS the 1960s, having been made in 1966. So maybe part of the pleasure of watching it will depend on whether you were around at that time in history (I was). Just look at those cars - they don't make them like that nowadays! Offices had no computers in them, and phones had a bell that rang. Some things nowadays are so different from then, others are so much the same (like pubs).

There's a strong story, since the film is based on a Le Carre' novel. (Blimey, Le Carre' was already a well-known writer way back then!). The plot is typical Le Carre' - a convoluted spy whodunnit, with some bizarre characters to lend it some comedy. There's excellent acting from James Mason, in the role of the Le Carre' downbeat spy; a very young Harriet Andersson as his nympho wife; Simone Signoret as the dowdy wife of the murder victim; and above all, Harry Andrews as the splendidly hatchet-faced police inspector. For a 1960s film, the direction is cutting-edge: some very cool design on the opening titles, hand-held camera on fight scenes. I hadn't been aware of Sidney Lumet as a director before, but on the strength of this file I'll be doing a search for his other films.

Even if you didn't live through the 60s, watch and enjoy!

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