The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)
Average Rating: 7.6/10
Reviews Counted: 12
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 2
No consensus yet.
Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 3 | Rotten: 1
liked it
Average Rating: 3.7/5
User Ratings: 4,986
My Rating
Movie Info
Based on the novel by John Le Carre, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold stars Richard Burton as a dispirited, end-of-tether British secret agent. He comes in from "the cold" (meaning he is pulled out of field operations) to act as a undercover man behind the Iron Curtain. To make his staged defection seem genuine, Burton goes on an alcoholic toot and is imprisoned and publicly humiliated. Once he has been accepted into East German espionage circles, Burton discovers that what he thought was his
Jan 1, 1965 Wide
Jul 13, 2004
Paramount Pictures
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Richard Burton
Alec Leamas -
Claire Bloom
Nan Perry -
Oskar Werner
Fiedler -
Sam Wanamaker
Peters -
George Voskovec
East German Defense Att... -
Rupert Davies
George Smiley -
Cyril Cusack
Control -
Peter van Eyck
Hans-Dieter Mundt -
Michael Hordern
Ashe -
Robert Hardy
Carlton -
Bernard Lee
Patmore -
Beatrix Lehmann
President of Tribunal -
Esmond Knight
Old Judge -
Tom Stern
CIA Agent -
Niall MacGinnis
Guard -
George Mikell
German Checkpoint Guard -
Scot Finch
German Guide -
Anne Blake
Miss Crail -
Richard Marner
Vopo Captain -
Warren Mitchell
Mr. Zanfrello -
Steve Plytas
East German Judge -
David Bauer
Young Judge -
Richard Caldicot
Mr. Pitt -
Marianne Deeming
Frau Floerdke -
Walter Gotell
Holten -
Nancy Nevinson
Mrs. Zanfrello -
Michael Ripper
Lofthouse -
Edward Harvey
Man in the Shop -
Katherine Keeton
Stripper -
Michael Ritterman
Security Officer -
ADVERTISEMENT
All Critics (12) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (14) | Rotten (2) | DVD (11)
An excellent contemporary espionage drama of the Cold War which achieves solid impact via emphasis on human values, total absence of mechanical spy gimmickry, and perfectly controlled underplaying.
Top CriticWhat finally impresses, however, is the sheer seediness of so much of the film, with characters, buildings, and landscapes lent convincingly grubby life by Oswald Morris' excellent monochrome camera-work.
The film makes you believe it could have happened. And that's the remarkable thing.
Grim, monotonous, and rather facile, though Richard Burton's aging agent has some honest poignancy.
A fabulous package for a frigid Cold War chestnut.
Self-consciously dour where the James Bond movies were insouciantly callous.
Brilliant depiction of humanity's foibles
Ritt helms one of the better spy dramas.
Grim and beautifuly shot in black and white by Oswald Morris, Martin's Ritt's spy drama features a great, Oscar-nominated performance from Richard Burton, reflecting the surrounding Cold War culture.
Sad and chilly.
Burton's burnt out turn is one of the best of his career.
Audience Reviews for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Super Reviewer
Super Reviewer
-
- Guard: Can you dig it?
Discussion Forum
There are no discussion threads for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold yet.
What's Hot On RT
Bradley Cooper's Best Movies
Trailer for new Coen Bros movie
Fast & Furious cars gallery
Blockbusters ranked!
Featured on RT
- Total Recall: Bradley Cooper's Best Movies 27
- Parental Guidance: Epic and Beautiful Creatures 2
- Comic Book Movies You Can Watch Online 6
- In Pictures: The Cars of Fast & Furious 0
- Digital Multiplex: Warm Bodies and Aftershock 8
- Discover the Best-Reviewed Films in Summer Movie Scorecard 2013 0
- RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: The Last Stand and Side Effects 17
Top Headlines
-
Vin Diesel Says Fast & Furious 7 Will Take Place in L.A.
0
-
10 Things You (Probably) Don't Know About the Hangover Movies
1
-
Zack Snyder, Christopher Nolan, and David S. Goyer Talk Man of Steel
0
-
New Transporter Trilogy in the Works
0
-
Richard Linklater Plans "Spiritual Sequel" to Dazed and Confused
0
-
King of Kong Filmmaker Seeks Funding for Lost Limb Documentary
0
-
Which Film Franchise Has Been the Best for Female Characters?
6
Fresh Links
Featured
Star Trek Movies Ranked
HitFix offers their own take on the worst-to-best of the Enterprise crew's cinematic adventures.
Top 10 Star Trek Villains
Rolling Stone unveils the Enterprise's most irksome adversaries.
Celebrity Yearkbook Flashback
We'll bet you never realized how many stars were cheerleaders and high school athletes!
50 Most Classic Movie Moms
In celebration of Mother's Day, TimeOut offers up 50 iconic matriarchs from the big screen.
Weirdest Movie Siblings
From Twins to The Royal Tenenbaums, Moviefone explores cinema's oddest siblings.
Promos
Follow RT on Twitter!
Spice up your feed with hourly Tomatometer updates!
Foreign Titles
- Der Spion, der aus der Kälte kam (DE)
- The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (UK)
