The Book the World Could Not Lay Down is Now a Motion Picture

Starring: Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, Oskar Werner, Georege Voskovec, Rupert Davies, Cyril Cusack, Peter van Eyck, Michael Hordern

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ - near perfect

"What the hell do you think spies are? Moral philosophers measuring everything they do against the word of God or Karl Marx? They're not! They're just a bunch of seedy, squalid bastards like me: little men, drunkards, hen-pecked husbands, civil servants playing cowboys and Indians to brighten their rotten little lives." - Alec Leamas

Why watch this? There is always something smoldering deep within Richard Burton.

Plot Summary: Disillusioned British agent Alec Leamas is tasked with posing as a defector to East Germany. His mission involves spreading false information about a high-ranking East German intelligence officer, making him appear to be a double agent. As Leamas becomes embroiled in a web of plots and counterplots, the lines between friend and foe become increasingly blurred.

Dad's Preview: This tense, intelligent spy film, set during the Cold War, hooked me immediately. It takes a lot of focus to follow the plot. You'll miss things, but perhaps that is the point. This is all about being undercover, and infiltration. Secrecy is essential to double agents. There is a realness to this film, too. It's not flashy like James Bond, which makes if feel more authentic. Burton was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar, and it was richly deserved.

Salem Films Limited; Paramount Pictures