The Spy Who Came in from the Cold | 
| Director: Martin Ritt
Actors: Richard Burton, Oskar Werner, Claire Bloom, Sam Wanamaker, George Voskovec
Studio: Paramount
Category: DVD
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $4.33
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Rating:  63 reviews
Sales Rank: 5173
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Black & White, Dolby, Dvd, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), English (Subtitled)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 112 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: PARD065094D
ISBN: 0792198719
UPC: 097360650945
EAN: 9780792198710
ASIN: B000228EK4
Theatrical Release Date: December 16, 1965
Release Date: July 13, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A cynical british spy plays cold war games with an east german spy. From the john le carre novel. Studio: Paramount Home Video Release Date: 04/11/2006 Starring: Richard Burton Oscar Werner Run time: 112 minutes Rating: Nr Director: Martin Ritt
Amazon.com
John le Carre's classic spy yarn gets a suitably brisk, unromanticized telling in this quintessential Cold War movie. A British agent (Richard Burton) sets up an elaborate cover story for being lured into defecting to the Communists, but he hardly needs to manufacture his disgust and cynicism over spying. The grim business of point-counterpoint espionage has rarely been depicted with less glamour; Burton's great climactic speech on the subject is the definitive take on sinking to the level of the enemy. Claire Bloom is an offbeat love interest, and a bearded Oskar Werner is an East German investigator on Burton's case (the pecking order in the Communist spy hierarchy is a source of black humor). Director Martin Ritt extends his unvarnished approach to the movie's stripped-down look, which means that Richard Burton is constantly in a harsh, unflattering light. He looks terrible, but it's in the service of a fine performance. --Robert Horton
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| Customer Reviews: Read 58 more reviews...
 true to life spy movie July 3, 2009
Michael P. Dobey
Spying can be a dirty business and this movie fit's into that dirty part of spying. Everybit of it from it's photography and overall feel of grayness and crushing unglamerous locations makes this movie a classic of the downbeat cynical spy genre. It helps when you have Richard Burton in one of his all time best performances. And every other cast member is at the top of their game and deliver such finely tuned performances that they meld into their characters. It brings back the cold war and the terrible sacrifices that were made to try to infiltrate the eastern block. And no matter how rotten some of the things the west did they are pails in comparison to the nightmare death states of the communist world. But that doesn't make this story any less poignant. The criterian collection did a fantastic job on cleaning this movie it has removed the
lines and specs to leave a almost pristine picture. The movie is black and white and that's ok for it just adds to the whole depressing feeling of this movie. And most people living in the eastern block of the 1960's were living in a oppressive and crushing society which matches the whole film as well. This is a well crafted drama with fine characterizations and it isn't a action movie snd it should be viewed with that expectation.
The Wisdom of Crocodiles April 28, 2009
LV (FRANKLIN, MA USA)
This is not what spy films were like before James Bond. To my knowledge, all other spy films before and after this one, come under the heading of: serious adventure or silly adventure, more or less. Although it is quite serious, I would not call this an action/adventure film. I suspect that this is the first film of it's kind to introduce the concept of the soul-shrinking effect of extreme expedience, inherent in such activities. I have seen this theme highlighted in subsequent films, including a recent one, "The Good Shepherd". I'm not saying that other films that have employed this theme are dominated by it, as with this film. Even the title of this film implies the theme. And when the lead character can no longer cope with his meaningless, reptilian existence, the system swallows him up for the sake of expedience as well. This film could have been called "The Wisdom of Crocodiles".... I came away very impressed, seeing a brilliant and unique film of that era, that holds up very well.
The Best Spy Film Ever Made January 23, 2009
H. Vellos (Cerritos, Ca United States)
The film plays like a chapter from the cold war. It is a classic black and white entry in the spy lore and gets my vote for the best spy film ever made. The acting is super as is the casting. Highly recommended.
 The Spy Who Came in from the Boredom December 15, 2008
D. Steigman (USA)
3 out of 11 found this review helpful
This for me was titled,the Spy Who Came in from the Boredom. This was not my kind of movie, I couldn't get into it. Too talky,dull, and I don't find Richard Burton's character interesting or appealing. I just didn't find any of the characters interesting. My favorite spy thriller is still Day of the Jackal followed by Eye of the Needle. I can recommend this to Richard Burton fans as this probably will not disappoint. Fans of spy movies may or may not get into this one depending on taste. I was really disappointed. The story was dull and slow for me. If you love this film get the Criterion DVD as the transfer is HD and there is a 2nd disc full of bonus materials. The DVD is great,the movie isnt (at least to me).. This one really depends on ones taste - Id rent it first if you are unsure about this one
 A classic film gets the Criterion treatment December 6, 2008
Ted M. (Pennsylvania, USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, is based on the novel of the same name by John le Carre. It is about a spy in Berlin who goes into 'forced' retirement and works in a library. He becomes a drunkard but it is later revealed his 'retirement' was only cover to become a double agent for the East Germans. He then falsely defects to East Germany so he can do one last mission.
I liked the film a lot and enjoyed the dialogue too. The Criterion edition is a two disc set with great bonus material.
Disc one contains the film with the theatrical trailer, Disc two contains audio commentary by Oswald Morris of selected scenes, a 2000 BBC special about le Carre, a gallery of set designs, and a 1985 conversation between between director Martin Ritt and film historian Patrick McGilligan.
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