The Spy Who Came In from the Cold

“Brace yourself for greatness.”

Alec Leamas (Richard Burton), a British agent worn down by the Cold War, wants out, but his service asks for one last mission. Martin Ritt follows him into it, with Nan Perry (Claire Bloom) and the East German officer Fiedler (Oskar Werner) waiting at the other end. Burton carries the weight in his shoulders and his tired, heavy-lidded face, the hat pulled low against the cold.