''The Defector'' is a 1966 thriller film starring

Montgomery Clift Edward Montgomery Clift (October 17, 1920 – July 23, 1966) was an American actor. A four-time Academy Award nominee, he was known for his portrayal of "moody, sensitive young men", according to ''The New York Times''. He is best remembered f ...

Hardy Krüger Hardy Krüger (; born Eberhard August Franz Ewald Krüger; 12 April 1928 – 19 January 2022) was a German actor and author who appeared in more than 60 films from 1944 onwards. After becoming a film star in Germany in the 1950s, Krüger increas ...

Roddy McDowall Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (17 September 1928 – 3 October 1998) was a British-American actor whose career spanned over 270 screen and stage roles across over 60 years. Born in London, he began his acting career as a child in his n ...

and

Macha Méril Princess Maria-Magdalena Vladimirovna Gagarina (born 3 September 1940), known by her stage name Macha Méril (), is a French actress and writer. Biography Méril is descended by her father from the Russian princely house Gagarin and by her moth ...

. It was directed and co-written by Belgian director/producer

Raoul Lévy Raoul Levy (14 April 1922 – 31 December 1966) was a Belgian-born French film producer, writer and director best known for a series of movies he made starring Brigitte Bardot. He was born in Antwerp. Biography He committed suicide after losing mos ...

and based on the 1965 novel ''L'espion'' (''The Spy'') by Paul Thomas. This was Clift's final film, and he only agreed to the part so that he could prepare himself for his next role in the 1967 film '' Reflections in a Golden Eye'' (the role went to

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''

). Although obviously very ill (he died less than three months after most of the shooting was completed), Clift still managed to give a convincing performance in what has been termed a very moody and somber film. This characterization is in stark contrast to the exuberance displayed by his love interest, who was played by Méril, an obviously more youthful woman. Lévy committed suicide on December 31, 1966, less than two months after the film's American release.

Plot

American physicist Professor Bower is effectively blackmailed by a shady

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA; ) is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States tasked with advancing national security through collecting and analyzing intelligence from around the world and ...

agent named Adams to help the CIA obtain secret microfilm from a defecting Russian scientist. The reluctant Bower travels to

East Germany East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from Foundation of East Germany, its formation on 7 October 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on ...

undercover as an antiques collector, where he encounters Heinzmann, an East German fellow physicist who is also a secret agent. Heinzmann is aware of Bower's meeting with Adams and of his intention to steal the microfilm, but their mutual respect for one another's tactics complicate the proceedings.

Cast

as Prof. James Bower *

as Counselor Peter Heinzmann *

as Frieda Hoffman *

as Agent Adams *

David Opatoshu David Opatoshu (born David Opatovsky; January 30, 1918 – April 30, 1996) was an American actor. He is best known for his role in the film '' Exodus'' (1960). Biography Opatoshu began his acting career in the Yiddish theater. Following his te ...

as Orlovsky * Christine Delaroche as Ingrid * Hannes Messemer as Dr. Saltzer *

Karl Lieffen Karl Lieffen (17 May 1926 – 13 January 1999), born Karel František Lifka, was a German film actor. He appeared in more than 140 films on screen and television between 1949 and 1998. Biography He was born in Ossegg (Osek), Czechoslovakia ...

as The Major

Production

Plans for the film, based on the novel ''The Spy'', were announced in January 1966. It was Montgomery Clift's first film appearance in four years. The original stars announced were Clift,

Monica Vitti Maria Luisa Ceciarelli (3 November 1931 – 2 February 2022), known professionally as Monica Vitti, was an Italian actress who starred in several award-winning films directed by Michelangelo Antonioni during the 1960s. She appeared with Marcel ...

and

. Filming was to begin on January 29, 1966 in Munich at the Regina Hotel and at the Bavaria Atellier Gestellschaft Studio on a budget of $1.5 million. Levy had previously made '' Hail Mafia'' with Seven Arts. Filming was pushed back until March, meaning that Vitti had to drop out, and she was replaced by

Leslie Caron Leslie Claire Margaret Caron (; born 1 July 1931) is a French and American actress and dancer. She is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTA Awards and a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. Caron b ...

. Then Caron gave up her role shortly before filming began in Munich in March 1966.

Nicole Courcel Nicole Marie Jeanne Andrieu (21 October 1931 – 25 June 2016), better known as Nicole Courcel, was a French actress who achieved popularity through the 1950s and 1960s, though she is mostly unknown outside of France. Born in Saint-Cloud, in ...

also left the cast and was replaced by

. Filming proceeded relatively smoothly in sharp contrast to other later-period Clift films. ( Should read 'earlier films } Filming was completed in June 1966. Clift returned to New York, where he died the following month.

Reception

Critics' response

Critics were generally favorable to the film.

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though some ...

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." The ''Los Angeles Times'' said Clift was "first rate" but called the film "second rate."

Box office

The film was not a box-office success in France.

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Defector, The 1966 films Cold War spy films French spy drama films German spy drama films French spy thriller films German spy thriller films West German films 1960s spy drama films 1960s spy thriller films Films based on American novels Films based on thriller novels Films set in Germany Films shot in Bavaria Films about the Central Intelligence Agency English-language French films English-language German films Films scored by Serge Gainsbourg 1966 drama films Films set in East Germany 1960s English-language films 1960s French films 1960s German films English-language spy thriller films