A solid and fun early British film from Michael Powell, "The Spy in Black" shows his early prowess with the camera. Even though It's considered a B film, the interior and exterior shots are captured surprisingly well and the use of angles adds to the intrigue and secrecy in the film. The movie is about a German
submarine captain named Conrad Veidt who receives orders to infiltrate and gather intelligence to destroy a British Fleet. The other spies and people involved in the mission may not be who they seem. The only drawbacks, from an otherwise enjoyable film, was the held back movements and actions of both the Germans and English during crucial scenes. For examples of this look at the woman spy who is alone with the German officer, he literally sits his pistol down to change and she does nothing even though only a few feet away. Aside from the scenes not flowing too realistically, I enjoyed the movie as a whole. If you are into B films or just older British films of the action/suspense genre, this is a solid and entertaining one.
December 7, 2011
