THE SECRET WAYS
US, 1961, 111 minutes, Black and white.
Richard Widmark, Senta Berger, Sonja Ziemann, Walter Rilla.
Directed by Phil Karlson.
The Secret Ways is one of the earliest film adaptations of an Alistair Mac Lean novel. It was produced by Richard Widmark and he acts as main star. Filmed on location in Europe, it has a grim black and white location photography and a grim atmosphere. The film echoes the confrontation between East and West of the time. MacLean's novel has been simplified and a lot of the reflective material about the nature of East and West has been eliminated. What remains is an efficient and effective melodramatic Iron Curtain story. Direction is by tough action director Phil Karlson. The Satan Bug was made soon after this and by the end of the '60s and into* the '70s the Mac Lean films became big budget, more action-filled e.g. Where Eagles Dare, Ice Station Zebra.
1. An entertaining action melodrama? The focus on the Americans in Europe? The background of the confrontation of East and West? Freedom from Iron Curtain countries?
2. Black and white photoqraphy, the use of European locations? The atmosphere of the European eastern cities, especially Vienna and Budapest? The musical score?
3. The conventions of the action genre: the tough American hero, the noble heroine, the harsh military police, the patriots needing to be rescued? Did the film transcend its conventions?
4. The plausibility of the plot - for '60s stories of escapes from the Soviet Bloc countries? The American adventurer able to be employed for rescue work? His contacts? His tough facing of difficult situations? The shady contacts in the cities? The patriots and their escape? The picture of life in Iron Curtain countries? The material contrived for this kind of adventure?
5. Richard Widmark as Michael Reynolds? The explanation of his presence in Vienna, his being followed, his being employed by the Swiss banker? His plans? The locating of Julia? The tensions about her going to Budapest or not - and her disguise? The spies and military police? Difficulties at the border? His posing (with echoes of The Third Man) as a newspaper celebrity? The welcoming committee - with the sinister aspects of his being guarded? Julia as his secretary? His ability to slip out, make contacts? Pretend to cover his tracks? His being taken to Jansci? The encounter with the Count? Persuading the group to go? The plans? Being forced into action? The capture by the military police and the torture with Jansci? The Count's rescue? The shoot-out and the car chase? The split-second escape? Credible larger than life hero?
6. Jansci and his reputation? His work in Hungary? The need for his escape? Personality, loyalty of his daughter, loyalty of the Count? His group? Suspicions of Reynolds? The escape, the torture? The final heroics? The Count and his ability to impersonate the officers, help the escape from prison, his being shot?
7. Julia and her escape from Hungary, her initial reaction of hostility to Reynolds, her decision to help him, the rendezvous, coming on the train disguised, her becoming his secretary? The final escape?
8. The military police and their following of clues, arrests, the torturing of Reynolds and Jansci? The obsessive pursuit of Jansci?
9. Elsa and the encounter with her in Vienna? The pick-up and her talk, eating the meal - and then her contacts?
10. The range of characters in this kind of film for authenticity - sinister contacts, spies, police?
11. The various action sequences - rendezvous in Vienna. border questions, suspicions in Budapest? The torture sequences?
12. The film's working as an adventure story? Its echoing the cold war attitudes of confrontation between the United States and the Soviet Union?
