The Defector (film)
| The Defector | |
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| Directed by | Raoul Lévy |
| Produced by | Raoul Lévy Conrad von Molo |
| Written by | Raoul Lévy |
| Starring | Montgomery Clift Hardy Krüger Roddy McDowall |
| Music by | Serge Gainsbourg |
| Cinematography | Raoul Coutard |
| Editing by | Roger Dwyre Albert Jurgenson |
| Distributed by | Gaumont S.A.B. |
| Release date(s) | October 20, 1966 (Germany) November 16, 1966 (United States) November 24, 1967 (Sweden) May 17, 1968 (Finland) |
| Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | France West Germany |
| Language | English |
The Defector is a 1966 thriller film, starring Montgomery Clift, Roddy McDowell and Macha Meril. It was directed by Belgian director/producer Raoul Lévy.
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[edit] Plot
Clift plays Professor James Bower, an American physicist, who is effectively blackmailed by a shady CIA agent named Adams (Roddy McDowall) to help the CIA obtain secret microfilm from a defecting Russian scientist. The reluctant Bower travels to East Germany undercover as an antiques collector where he encounters an East German secret agent named Peter Heinzmann (German actor Hardy Kruger), who is also a fellow physicist. Heinzmann is aware of Bower's meeting with Adams and his intention to steal the microfilm, however their mutual respect for one another's tactics complicate the proceedings.
[edit] Cast
- Montgomery Clift as Prof. James Bower
- Hardy Krüger as Counselor Peter Heinzmann
- Roddy McDowall as Agent Adams
- Macha Méril as Frieda Hoffman
- David Opatoshu as Orlovsky
- Christine Delaroche as Ingrid
- Hannes Messemer as Dr. Saltzer
- Karl Lieffen as The Major
[edit] Notes
This was Clift's last film, and he only agreed to star in it so he could prepare himself for his next role in the 1967 film Reflections in a Golden Eye (the role went to actor Marlon Brando). Although obviously very ill (he died less than 3 months after most of the shooting was completed), he still managed to give a convincing performance in what has been termed a very moody and sombre film. This characterization is in stark contrast to the exuberance displayed by his love interest, who was played by Meril, an obviously more youthful woman.
Less than 6 months after the release of the film the director Lévy committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest.[citation needed]
[edit] Critics response
Critics were generally favorable of the film, but some were more specific, as Alvarez Kelly of the New York Times said, "Mr. Clift is apt in this his last film — lonely, bewildered, courageous - it's just too bad it doesn't quite ring the bell."[citation needed]
