''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 ...

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 increa ...

Roddy McDowall Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (17 September 1928 – 4 October 1998) was a British actor, photographer and film director. He began his acting career as a child in England, and then in the United States, in ''How Green Was My Valley'' (1 ...

and

Macha Méril Macha Méril (; born Princess Maria-Magdalena Vladimirovna Gagarina on 3 September 1940) is a French actress and writer. Biography Méril is descended by her father from the Russian princely house Gagarin and by her mother from a Ukrainian nob ...

. It was directed by

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

director/producer Raoul Lévy 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). 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 ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

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 the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

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 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. He was born in Ossegg (Osek), Czechoslovakia and atten ...

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 Monica Vitti (born Maria Luisa Ceciarelli; 3 November 1931 – 2 February 2022) was an Italian actress who starred in several award-winning films directed by Michelangelo Antonioni during the 1960s. After working with Antonioni, Vitti changed fo ...

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 Hail is a form of solid precipitation. It is distinct from ice pellets (American English "sleet"), though the two are often confused. It consists of balls or irregular lumps of ice, each of which is called a hailstone. Ice pellets generally fal ...

'' 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-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. She is one ...

. 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. 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 his ...

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