Spy film

The spy film genre, which is mainly the subgenre of thriller, deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of John Le Carré) or as a basis for fantasy (such as James Bond). Many novels in the spy fiction genre have been adapted as films, including works by John Buchan, Le Carré, Ian Fleming (Bond) and Len Deighton. It is a significant aspect of British cinema, with leading British directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Carol Reed making notable contributions and many films set in the British Secret Service.

Spy films show the espionage activities of government agents and their risk of being discovered by their enemies. From the Nazi espionage thrillers of the 1940s to the 007 films of the '60s and to the high-tech blockbusters of today, the spy film has always been popular with audiences worldwide. Offering a combination of exciting escapism, technological thrills, and exotic locales, the spy film combines the action and science fiction genres, presenting clearly-delineated heroes for audiences to root for and villains for them to hiss.

James Bond is the most famous of movie spies. Bond, in his various incarnations, flippantly beat up on the Russians, but there were also more serious, probing works like The Spy Who Came in from the Cold which also emerged from the Cold War. As the Cold War ended, the newest villain became terrorism and more often involved the Middle East.

History

The spy film genre began in the silent era, with the paranoia of invasion literature and the onset of the Great War. These fears produced the British 1914 The German Spy Peril, centred on a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament, and 1913's O.H.M.S., standing for 'Our Helpless Millions Saved' as well as On His Majesty's Service (and introducing for the first time a strong female character who helps the hero).

In 1928, Fritz Lang made the film Spies which contained many tropes that became popular in later spy dramas, including secret headquarters, an agent known by a number, and the beautiful foreign agent who comes to love the hero. Lang's Dr. Mabuse films from the period also contain elements of spy thrillers, though the central character is a criminal mastermind only interested in espionage for profit. Additionally, several of Lang's American films, such as Hangmen Also Die, deal with spies during World War II.

Alfred Hitchcock did much to popularise the spy film in the 1930s with his influential thrillers The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), The 39 Steps (1935), Sabotage (1937) and The Lady Vanishes (1938). These often involved innocent civilians being caught up in international conspiracies. Some, however, dealt with professional spies as in Hitchcock's Secret Agent (1936), based on W. Somerset Maugham's Ashenden stories.

In the 1940s and early 1950s there were several films made about the exploits of Allied agents in occupied Europe, which could probably be considered as a sub-genre. 13 Rue Madeleine and O.S.S. were fictional stories about American agents in German-occupied France, and there were a number of films based on the stories of real-life British S.O.E. agents, including Odette and Carve Her Name With Pride. A more recent fictional example is Charlotte Gray, based on the novel by Sebastian Faulks.

Also during the period, there were many detective films (The Thin Man Goes Home and Charlie Chan in the Secret Service for example) in which the mystery involved who stole the secret blue-prints, or who kidnapped the famous scientist.

The peak of popularity of the spy film is often considered to be the 1960s when Cold War fears meshed with a desire by audiences to see exciting and suspenseful films. The espionage film developed in two directions at this time. On the one hand, the realistic spy novels of Len Deighton and John le Carré were adapted into relatively serious Cold War thrillers which dealt with some of the realities of the espionage world. Some of these films included The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965), The Deadly Affair (1966), and the Harry Palmer series, based on the novels of Len Deighton.

At the same time, the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming were adapted into an increasingly fantastical series of tongue-in-cheek adventure films by producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli, with Sean Connery as the star. The phenomenal success of the Bond series lead to a deluge of imitators, such as the Eurospy genre and several from America. Among the best known examples were the two 'Derek Flint' films starring James Coburn, and the Matt Helm series with Dean Martin. Television also got into the act with series like The Man from U.N.C.L.E and I Spy in the U.S., and Danger Man and The Avengers in Britain. Spies have remained popular on TV to the present day with series such as Callan, Alias and Spooks.

Spy films also enjoyed something of a revival in the late 1990s, although these were often action films with espionage elements, or comedies like Austin Powers. Today, spy films have trended away from fantasy elements in favor of realism. This trend can be seen in Syriana, the Bourne film series and the more recent James Bond films Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008).

Films

Some of the most popular films include:

• Mata Hari (1932), Greta Garbo plays the real-life WWI spy.
• British Agent (1934), based on the memoirs of Bruce-Lockhart, portraying the Russian Revolution
• The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) Alfred Hitchcock film about a family trying to save their child and a politician from an organization of assassins being hunted by MI6.
• The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) remake of the 1934 Hitchcock film by Hitchcock himself starring James Stewart and Doris Day.
• The 39 Steps (1935), directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
• Secret Agent (1936), directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
• Notorious (1946), Spy thriller from Alfred Hitchcock with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman.
• OSS 117 n'est pas mort, aka OSS 117 is not dead (1956), first in long-running series of adaptations from the novels.
• North by Northwest (1959), Hitchcock thriller with Cary Grant.
• The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
  • The Manchurian Candidate (2004), reimagining of the previous 1962 film.
• The James Bond films
  • Dr. No (1962)
  • From Russia with Love (1963)
  • Goldfinger (1964)
  • Thunderball (1965)
  • You Only Live Twice (1967)
  • On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
  • Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
  • Live and Let Die (1973)
  • The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
  • The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
  • Moonraker (1979)
  • For Your Eyes Only (1981)
  • Octopussy (1983)
  • A View to a Kill (1985)
  • The Living Daylights (1987)
  • Licence to Kill (1989)
  • GoldenEye (1995)
  • Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
  • The World Is Not Enough (1999)
  • Die Another Day (2002)
  • Casino Royale (2006)
  • Quantum of Solace (2008)
  • Skyfall (2012)
• The Prize (1963), starring Paul Newman and Elke Sommer.
• Charade (1963) Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn search for hidden OSS money.
• The Harry Palmer series
  • The IPCRESS File (1965)
  • Funeral in Berlin (1966)
  • Billion Dollar Brain (1967)
• The Liquidator (1965), MGM's answer to Bond with Rod Taylor and Goldfinger-style theme sung by Shirley Bassey.
• The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965)
• Where the Spies Are (1965), adventure-comedy with David Niven.
• The Deadly Affair (1966)
• The Quiller Memorandum (1966)
• Torn Curtain (1966), Hitchcock film starring Paul Newman.
• Arabesque (1966) adventure-romance with Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren
• The Double Man (1967)
• A Dandy in Aspic (1968)
• Dead Season (1968) Soviet spy film
• Where Eagles Dare (1968), WWII adventure from the Alistair MacLean novel.
• Topaz (1969), Hitchcock film starring John Forsythe.
• Subterfuge (1969), British espionage yarn with Gene Barry
• The Kremlin Letter (1970)
• Night Flight from Moscow (1972)
• The Day of the Jackal (1973)
• Scorpio (1973), with Burt Lancaster
• The Mackintosh Man (1973), John Huston film with Paul Newman.
• The Black Windmill (1974)
• The Odessa File (1974)
• Three Days of the Condor (1975)
• The Eiger Sanction (1975)
• Eye of the Needle (1981), WWII espionage from the Ken Follett novel.
• The Soldier (1982)
• TASS Is Authorized to Declare... (1984) Soviet spy film
• The Falcon and the Snowman (1985), based on a true story.
• The Holcroft Covenant (1985), story from Robert Ludlum starring Michael Caine
• The Fourth Protocol (1987)
• The Russia House (1990), post-Cold War story from John le Carré novel
• Mission: Impossible series
  • Mission: Impossible (1996)
  • Mission: Impossible II (2000)
  • Mission: Impossible III (2006)
  • Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
• The Assignment (1997)
• Conspiracy Theory (1997)
• Enemy of the State (1998)
• Enigma (2001)
• Spy Game (2001), with Robert Redford and Brad Pitt.
• The Tailor of Panama (2001)
• The Bourne film series
  • The Bourne Identity (2002)
  • The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
  • The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
• The Recruit (2003)
• Spartan (2004)
• Munich (2005), Steven Spielberg film based on real events.
• Syriana (2005), political thriller set in the Middle East.
• The Good Shepherd (2006)
• Black Book (2006)
• The Good German (2006)
• Breach (2007)
• Body of Lies (2008)
• Taken (2008)
• Traitor (2008)
• The International (2009)
• Salt (2010)
• The American (2010)
• Fair Game (2010)
• The Tourist (2010)
• Unknown (2011)
• Hanna (2011)
• Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
• The Double (2011)
• Haywire (2012)

Fantasy-oriented films and satire

Some of the popular films with fantasy or satirical elements include:

• My Favorite Spy (1951), Bob Hope in a mistaken-identity comedy.
• James Bond film series, from You Only Live Twice (1967) to Die Another Day (2002), with the exception of On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) and For Your Eyes Only (1981).
• Agent 8³⁄₄ (1964), British spy comedy with Dirk Bogarde.
• That Man from Rio (1964), French spoof of Bond-type films starring Jean-Paul Belmondo.
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E (1965–1968) 8 spin-off films made from 2-part episodes and added footage.
• The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World (1965), British satire of the James Bond films.
• Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965) and Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs (1966) satirize the James Bond films, particularly Goldfinger.
• Agent for H.A.R.M. (1966), originally a television pilot released as a feature film.
• The Man Called Flintstone (1966), feature-length cartoon based on TV series parodies spy films.
• A Man Could Get Killed (1966), mistaken-identity spy spoof with James Garner.
• The Glass Bottom Boat (1966), Doris Day mistaken for a spy; Robert Vaughn cameo as Napoleon Solo.
• Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die (1966), campy Italian spoof of the Bond films.
• Our Man Flint and In Like Flint (1966–1967) with James Coburn as a Bond-like American agent.
• The Matt Helm series starring Dean Martin (1966–1969), serious spy novels "Martinized" into campy spoofs.
• Modesty Blaise (1966), partial satire based on comic strip about sexy female spy.
• The Last of the Secret Agents (1966), Allen & Rossi comedy with Nancy Sinatra
• What's Up, Tiger Lily? (1966), Woody Allen comedy re-dubs the dialog of a low-budget Japanese spy film.
• Casino Royale (1967 film) campy parody of the James Bond series.
• Fathom (1967), comedic spy caper with Raquel Welch.
• The President's Analyst (1967) counterculture satire of spy films, Cold War politics, etc.
• Deadlier Than the Male (1967) and sequel Some Girls Do (1969), Bulldog Drummond returns as Bond-like hero.
• The Million Eyes of Sumuru (1967), tongue-in-cheek yarn with Frankie Avalon and Goldfinger's Shirley Eaton.
• S.O.S. Conspiración Bikini (1967), Mexican answer to James Bond with Julio Alemán as secret agent Alex Dinamo.
• Hammerhead (1968), imitative British Bond knockoff with Vince Edwards.
• Danger Girls aka ¡Peligro...! Mujeres en acción [Danger! Women in Action] (1969), Mexican spy yarn, sequel to S.O.S. Conspiración Bikini (q.v.).
• The Spy Who Came (1969), soft-core sexploitation parody.
• The Doll Squad (1973), sexploitation film about a team of female agents directed by Ted V. Mikels.
• Top Secret! (1984), slapstick espionage comedy.
• Spies Like Us (1985), comedy with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd.
• Nikita aka La Femme Nikita (1990), French film inspired the Canadian TV series La Femme Nikita (1997–2001)
• If Looks Could Kill (1991), a mistaken-identity comedy.
• Point of No Return (1993) English-language remake of La Femme Nikita with Bridget Fonda.
• True Lies (1994), Arnold Schwarzenegger action-comedy.
• Spy Hard (1996), Leslie Nielsen spoofs James Bond and action films.
• The Rock (1996)
• Mission: Impossible film series (1996–2011), a remake of the TV series.
• Austin Powers series (1997–2002), spoofs '60s films like Casino Royale and the Matt Helm/Derek Flint series.
• The Man Who Knew Too Little (1997), mistaken-identity comedy with Bill Murray.
• The Saint (1997)
• The xXx film series (2002–2005) with Vin Diesel, Ice Cube, Samuel L. Jackson
• Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)
• Cypher (2002)
• The Agent Cody Banks film series (2003)
• Johnny English (2003), a James Bond spoof with Rowan Atkinson.
• D.E.B.S. (2004), offbeat female-based spy spoof.
• Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), action-comedy about two undercover assassins.
• Aeon Flux (2005), Charlize Theron spy-fi film based on animated MTV mini-series.
• The Matador (2006), black comedy with former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan.
• OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006); French parody of the OSS series.
• The Spy Kids trilogy 2001–2003
• Stormbreaker (2006), aka Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker
• RSTC: Reserve Spy Training Corps (2006)
• Get Smart (2008) comedy based on the popular 1960s spy-spoof TV series.
• Burn After Reading (2008), Coen brothers farce about inept spies and blackmail.
• OSS 117: Rio ne répond plus aka OSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009), parody of the OSS series set in 1967.
• Knight and Day (2010)
• Cars 2 (2011)

TV shows

• Burn Notice (2007–present)
• Danger Man (1960–1962) and (1964–1966), aka Secret Agent in the U.S.
• The Avengers (1961–1969), British Spy-fi with Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Honor Blackman, Linda Thorson.
• Espionage (1963), a short-lived television drama depicting espionage in various eras of history.
• The Saint (1962–1969), mystery series that became more Bond-like with future 007 Roger Moore.
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E (1964–1968), tongue-in-cheek spy adventure series.
• The Girl from U.N.C.L.E (1966–1967), campy spin-off series starring Stefanie Powers.
• Amos Burke, Secret Agent (1965–1966), Burke's Law revamped to join the spy trend
• I Spy (1955-1957), dramatic spy series starring Raymond Massey.
• I Spy (1965–1968), realistic drama with comedic touches.
• The Wild Wild West (1965–1969), unique blend of spy, action, western, fantasy, sci-fi and steampunk genres.
• Get Smart (1965–1970), Mel Brooks parody of the spy genre.
• Mission: Impossible (1966–1973), (1988–1990), espionage-suspense about experts of deception who form sting-operation team.
• The Prisoner (1967), allegorical miniseries with Spy-fi elements
• Stawka większa niż życie (1967–1968)
• Callan (1967–1972)
• It Takes a Thief (1968–70) suave cat burglar (Robert Wagner) forced to work for CIA-like agency.
• Search (1972–73) Spy-fi series, agents implanted with hi-tech devices.
• Seventeen Moments of Spring (1973), Soviet drama about Soviet agent in Nazi Germany.
• The Sandbaggers (1978–1980), British Cold War drama.
• Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979), British miniseries from John le Carré novel.
• A Man Called Sloane (1979–80), combination of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Wild Wild West
• Reilly, Ace of Spies (1980), PBS miniseries based on real events in Russia in 1918.
• Smiley's People (1982), British miniseries from John le Carré novel; sequel to Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1979), both starring Alec Guinness.
• Pogranicze w ogniu (1988), Polish series about actions of Polish and German intelligence services between WW I and WW II.
• Aeon Flux (1995), MTV animated Spy-fi mini-series made into feature film in 2005.
• Spy Game (1997), failed attempt to revive the tongue-in-cheek spy concept
• La Femme Nikita (1997–2001), Peta Wilson series based on the film Nikita
• The Agency (2001–2003)
• Alias (2001–2006), starring Jennifer Garner as an undercover agent who assumes various identities.
• 24 (2001–2010), real-time action drama with Kiefer Sutherland as government agent.
• She Spies (2002–2004)
• Spooks (2002–2011), aka MI-5 in the U.S. and Canada
• L/R: Licensed by Royalty (2003)
• The Company (2007), TV miniseries about the CIA during the Cold War from the Robert Littell book.
• Chuck (2007–2012) comedy-adventure about average guy caught up in espionage.
• The Middleman (2008), Spy-fi action-comedy about college girl recruited by a secret agency.
• M.I. High (2007–2011) The series following the adventures of three secondary school pupils who work as spies.
• Human Target (2010–2011) action drama about a bodyguard frequently involved in espionage.
• Covert Affairs (2010–present), the story of a young female CIA agent.
• Undercovers (2010), short-lived series about husband-and-wife CIA agents.
• Nikita (2010–present), remake of the La Femme Nikita series.

Spy films or television series that include elements of science fiction are sometimes called Spy-fi.

See also

• Parodies of James Bond
• List of films based on spy books