The Looking Glass War

Most of the reviews I have given are of films that I saw at the cinema upon its release and have then recently watched again. However, THE LOOKING GLASS WAR is a movie that I never got around to watching at the pictures, therefore, I decided to shell out 3 pounds and buy the DVD. I must say that I am glad I did as I quite enjoyed it. A young Christopher Jones plays a Polish seaman who is recruited by British Intelligence to go into East Germany to check out some missiles in return for being given leave to stay in the UK. The acting was better than I thought it would be and the storyline was OK. I liked the jazzy soundtrack as well. Not a bad film at all and worth the 3 quid I paid.

Frank Pierson made a very ambitious bet when he wrote the screenplay and directed the film version of John Le Carré's The Looking Glass War. I admire that ambition, but he only partially succeeded. The novel is a bitter, dark and gritty tale, with lots of satire, of old spymasters reliving their past glories. For that reason they are not up to the job of managing a modern and "Cold" War. Instead of "simply" telling that great and worthy story, Pierson seems to have been inspired by the Swinging 60's, with counterculture movements and young people everywhere pushing back against previous generations, to make an even bigger and more flamboyant statement of generational angst than Le Carré intended. This might have worked if executed well, but a few mistakes undercut him. He chose two beautiful, quirky, fast-rising stars, Christopher Jones and Pia Degermark as the leads. Jones' recruitment scenes were not believable, and neither was Degermark's two deus ex machina moments of entering the spy's life. But they were very nice to watch, and the very good cinematography helped, too. A few other turn-offs, for me were several tedious segments when I thought Pierson was channelling Michelangelo Antonioni, location shots that do not look like anyplace I've ever seen in Germany, as well an overly abrupt ending. In the end Pierson seems to have abandoned Le Carré's biting satire, and he jumbled the shift to generational angst.

Although undeniably the weakest of the three John Le Carre novels to be filmed during the 1960's this is not quite as bad some would have us believe. It proved to be one of only two features to be directed by Frank R. Pierson, the other being the third version of 'A Star is Born'. The latter film at least made money despite a critical drubbing whereas this one failed on both counts.

There are some redeeming features here, notably the cinematography of Austin Dempster and first class performances from Ralph Richardson, Paul Rogers, Robert Urquart and Anthony Hopkins who is slowly moving up the ranks. Hopkins freely admitted that his ambition was to be an international film star and in time would certainly be granted his wish!

The weak link is Christopher Jones whose rather quirky personality at first appeals but then becomes rather tiresome. He is working through his James Dean complex here and in the role of a Pole is not very well dubbed. He was to be even more miscast in 'Ryan's Daughter' which proved to be another nail in his coffin. Also disappointing is Pia Degermark as the love interest. Having shone in 'Elvira Madigan' she is rather bland here and despite her off-screen relationship with Jones there is precious little chemistry.

Even by the author's standards the material is pretty bleak and Mister Pierson alas is not in the same league as Messrs. Ritt and Lumet.

Where it does succeed admirably is in depicting the soul-destroying and morally ambiguous nature of the Espionage business where human beings are nothing if not expendable.

"War is hell, Mr. Thornhill. Even when it's a Cold one"!

26/04/2021: Congrats to Mr. Hopkins on his well-deserved Academy Award.

A disappointing adaptation of a good book, with a key aspect of the latter (inter-departmental rivalry) being omitted. I located an on-line copy after the usual frustrations of working through links to Youtube that led to short clips, paid subscription copies and so on.

With several jumps in the plot, I did wonder if the version I saw had been hacked around, but it was the 108 minutes stated here on IMDb. Christopher Jones was unconvincing and uninspiring as Leiser, his fight with Avery a prolonged interpolation and his scrabbling around to get under the wire in the dark protracted. And how lucky he was to come across an attractive girl and child (what happened to him?) in the middle of nowhere - and to bump into her again in a cafe.

The best things were the wide, open European spaces and Anthony Hopkins' acting

Christoper Jones does a great job. And with Ralph Richardson and Sir Tony Hopkins in support you have to have a real experience. Maybe some people weren't happy that Jones wasn't James Bond. I don't think he was ever meant to be. This is an entirely different protagonist...much more realistic and human. Even with the "correct papers" you were guilty until proven innocent once you entered the Soviet Bloc. The danger he faces was as great as any 007. And he does so without the weapons that J. Bond was provided with. Like Bond, a seemingly impossible mission. But with none of the "Tier One" hardware that Bond ever had. Just a man...no super powers...not even a pistol. This "unfair" powers of force provides a deeper and more subtle level of suspense and tension. He can't survive can he? Can he complete his mission? So I don't spoil it for you I won't go on. Let me say this is one of the best Cold War spy movies I've seen and Jones deserves a great deal of credit. Enjoy.

He was an inexperienced man clutched out of crises and thrown into an impossible situation. I think he pulls this off quite well. Very few remember;e the danger and suspense of penetrating East Germany. The constant striving to be free against the murderous boot of the Stasi.