The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

“This is this kind of overlooked and great, great film, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, based on one of John le Carré’s earlier George Smiley detective novels. Smiley is actually a very small part in the film. The big part is played by Richard Burton. Absolutely heartbreaking. It’s so moving. And brilliantly played by Burton. I think one of his best film performances, especially when he pretends to be a drunkard. Watch for that.”

“The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. There’s a lack of color to this film... It leans into that monochromatic world that we imagined the Cold War to be in. There’s a speech in this film that Richard Burton gives, which is, I think, the best speech he gave as an actor, about what spies are. It’s the counterargument to James Bond. Based on the John le Carré book, of course, and really it’s worth watching just for that speech. And it has a bleakness to it I really like.”