THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD (Salem Films / Paramount, U.K., 1965). Directed by Martin Ritt. Screenplay by Paul Dehn and Guy Trosper, based on the novel of the same name by John le Carré. With Richard Burton, Claire Bloom, Oskar Werner, Sam Wanamaker, George Voskovec, Rupert Davies, Cyril Cusack. (112 min, black & white, 35mm print from the Copyright Collection)
A British spy masquerades as a defector to trap the head of the East German counter-espionage unit responsible for the death of several British intelligence operatives. Widely considered one of the best spy films of all time, “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” closely follows the narrative and mood of John le Carré’s novel, which completely undermines the glamorous, globe-trotting, gimmick filled world of secret agents dominating motion picture and TV screens at the time, and instead creates a dreary, bleak and grey world in which individuals are easily sacrificed for an often dubious common goal. In the words of disillusioned spy Alec Leamas, masterfully played by Richard Burton, “What 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.”
Seating is on a first-come first-serve basis. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
Thursday, April 17, 2025
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT
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James Madison Building – Pickford Theater (LM302)
101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540
Request ADA accommodations five business days in advance at (202) 707-6362 or [email protected].