Spy film  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

(Difference between revisions)
Jump to: navigation, search
Revision as of 08:12, 4 December 2007
Jahsonic (Talk | contribs)

← Previous diff
Revision as of 07:41, 12 April 2012
Jahsonic (Talk | contribs)

Next diff →
Line 1: Line 1:
-#REDIRECT [[Espionage ]]+{{Template}}
 +The '''spy film''' [[film genre|genre]] deals with the subject of fictional [[espionage]], either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of [[John Le Carré]]) or as a basis for fantasy (such as [[James Bond]]). Many novels in the [[spy fiction]] genre have been adapted as films, including works by [[John Buchan]], [[John Le Carré]], [[Ian Fleming]] and [[Len Deighton]]. It is a significant aspect of [[Cinema of the United Kingdom|British cinema]], with leading British directors such as [[Alfred Hitchcock]] and [[Carol Reed]] making notable contributions and many films set in the [[Secret Intelligence Service|British Secret Service]].
 + 
 +==History==
 +The spy film genre began in the [[silent film|silent era]], with the paranoia of [[invasion literature]] and the start of the [[First World War]]. These produced the British 1914 'The German Spy Peril' (centred around a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament) and 'O.H.M.S.' (standing for Our Helpless Millions Saved as well as [[O.H.M.S.|On Her Majesty's Service]], and introducing for the first time a strong female character who helps the hero).
 + 
 +In 1928, [[Fritz Lang]] made the film ''[[Spione|Spies]]'' which contained many tropes that became popular in later spy dramas, including secret headquarters, an agent known by a number, and the beautiful foreign agent who comes to love the hero. Lang's Dr. Mabuse films from the period also contain elements of spy thrillers, though the central character is a criminal mastermind only interested in espionage for profit. Additionally, several of Lang's American films, such as [[Hangmen Also Die]], deal with spies during World War II.
 + 
 +[[Alfred Hitchcock]] did much to popularise the spy film in the 1930s with his influential thrillers ''[[The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)|The Man Who Knew Too Much]]'' (1934), ''[[The 39 Steps (1935 film)|The 39 Steps]]'' (1935), ''[[Sabotage (film)|Sabotage]]'' (1937) and ''[[The Lady Vanishes (1938 film)|The Lady Vanishes]]'' (1938). These often involved innocent civilians being caught up in international conspiracies. Some, however, dealt with professional spies as in Hitchcock's ''[[Secret Agent (1936 film)|Secret Agent]]'' (1936), based on [[W. Somerset Maugham]]'s ''Ashenden'' stories.
 + 
 +In the 1940s and early 1950s there were several films made about the exploits of Allied agents in occupied Europe, which could probably be considered as a sub-genre. ''[[13 Rue Madeleine]]'' and ''[[Office of Strategic Services|O.S.S.]]'' were fictional stories about American agents in German-occupied France, and there were a number of films based on the stories of real-life [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Special Operations Executive|S.O.E.]] agents, including ''[[Odette (film)|Odette]]'' and ''[[Carve Her Name With Pride]]''. A more recent fictional example is ''[[Charlotte Gray (film)|Charlotte Gray]]'', based on the novel by [[Sebastian Faulks]].
 + 
 +Also during the period, there were many detective films (''[[The Thin Man Goes Home]]'' and ''[[Charlie Chan in the Secret Service]]'' for example) in which the mystery involved who stole the secret blue-prints, or who kidnapped the famous scientist.
 + 
 +The peak of popularity of the spy film is often considered to be the 1960s when [[Cold War]] fears meshed with a desire by audiences to see exciting and suspenseful films. The espionage film developed in two directions at this time. On the one hand, the realistic spy novels of [[Len Deighton]] and [[John le Carré]] were adapted into relatively serious [[Cold War]] thrillers which dealt with some of the realities of the espionage world. Some of these films included ''[[The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (film)|The Spy Who Came in from the Cold]]'' (1965), ''[[The Deadly Affair]]'' (1966), and the [[Harry Palmer]] series, based on the novels of [[Len Deighton]].
 + 
 +At the same time, the [[James Bond]] novels by [[Ian Fleming]] were adapted into an increasingly fantastical series of tongue-in-cheek adventure films by producers [[Harry Saltzman]] and [[Albert R. Broccoli]], with [[Sean Connery]] as the star. The phenomenal success of the Bond series lead to a deluge of imitators, such as the [[Eurospy]] genre and several from America. Among the best known examples were the two 'Derek Flint' films starring [[James Coburn]], and the [[Matt Helm]] series with [[Dean Martin]]. [[Television]] also got into the act with series like ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E]]'' and ''[[I Spy (1965 TV series)|I Spy]]'' in the U.S., and ''[[Danger Man]]'' and ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'' in Britain. Spies have remained popular on TV to the present day with series such as ''[[Callan (TV series)|Callan]]'', ''[[Alias (TV series)|Alias]]'' and ''[[Spooks]]''.
 + 
 +Spy films also enjoyed something of a revival in the late 1990s, although these were often action films with espionage elements, or comedies like [[Austin Powers (film series)|Austin Powers]]. Today, spy films have trended away from fantasy elements in favor of realism. This trend can be seen in ''[[Syriana]]'', the [[Bourne (film series)|Bourne film series]] and the more recent James Bond films ''[[Casino Royale (2006 film)|Casino Royale]]'' (2006) and ''[[Quantum of Solace (film)|Quantum of Solace]]'' (2008).
 + 
 +==Films==
 +Some of the most popular films include:
 +* ''[[Mata Hari (1931 film)|Mata Hari]]'' (1932), [[Greta Garbo]] plays the real-life WWI spy.
 +* ''[[British Agent]]'' (1934), based on the memoirs of [[Bruce-Lockhart]], portraying the Russian Revolution
 +* ''[[The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)|The Man Who Knew Too Much]]'' (1934) Alfred Hitchcock film about a family trying to save their child and a politician from an organization of assassins being hunted by MI6.
 +* ''[[The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film)|The Man Who Knew Too Much]]'' (1956) remake of the 1934 Hitchcock film by Hitchcock himself starring James Stewart and Doris Day.
 +* ''[[The 39 Steps (1935 film)|The 39 Steps]]'' (1935), directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
 +* ''[[Secret Agent (1936 film)|Secret Agent]]'' (1936), directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
 +* ''[[Notorious (1946 film)|Notorious]]'' (1946), Spy thriller from Alfred Hitchcock with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman.
 +* ''[[OSS 117 n'est pas mort]]'', aka ''OSS 117 is not dead'' (1956), first in long-running series of adaptations from the novels.
 +* ''[[North by Northwest]]'' (1959), Hitchcock thriller with [[Cary Grant]].
 +* ''[[The Manchurian Candidate (1962 film)|The Manchurian Candidate]]'' (1962)
 +** ''[[The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)|The Manchurian Candidate]]'' (2004), reimagining of the previous 1962 film.
 +* ''[[Dr. No (film)|Dr. No]]'' (1962), ''[[From Russia with Love (film)|From Russia with Love]]'' (1963), ''[[Goldfinger (film)|Goldfinger]]'' (1964), ''[[Thunderball (film)|Thunderball]]'' (1965), ''[[On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)|On Her Majesty's Secret Service]]'' (1969) and ''[[For Your Eyes Only (film)|For Your Eyes Only]]'' (1981) from the [[James Bond (film series)|James Bond film series]]
 +* ''[[The Prize (1963 film)|The Prize]]'' (1963), starring [[Paul Newman]] and [[Elke Sommer]].
 +*''[[Charade (1963 film)|Charade]]'' (1963) Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn search for hidden OSS money.
 +* [[Harry Palmer|The Harry Palmer series]]
 +** ''[[The Ipcress File (film)|The IPCRESS File]]'' (1965)
 +** ''[[Funeral in Berlin (film)|Funeral in Berlin]]'' (1966)
 +** ''[[Billion Dollar Brain]]'' (1967)
 +* ''[[The Liquidator (film)|The Liquidator]]'' (1965), MGM's answer to Bond with Rod Taylor and ''Goldfinger''-style theme sung by [[Shirley Bassey]].
 +* ''[[The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (film)|The Spy Who Came In from the Cold]]'' (1965)
 +* ''[[Where the Spies Are]]'' (1965), adventure-comedy with [[David Niven]].
 +* ''[[The Deadly Affair]]'' (1966)
 +* ''[[The Quiller Memorandum]]'' (1966)
 +* ''[[Torn Curtain]]'' (1966), Hitchcock film starring Paul Newman.
 +* ''[[Arabesque (film)|Arabesque]]'' (1966) adventure-romance with [[Gregory Peck]] and [[Sophia Loren]]
 +* ''[[The Double Man (film)|The Double Man]]'' (1967)
 +* ''[[A Dandy in Aspic]]'' (1968)
 +* ''[[Dead Season (film)|Dead Season]]'' (1968) Soviet spy film
 +* ''[[Where Eagles Dare]]'' (1968), WWII adventure from the [[Alistair MacLean]] novel.
 +* ''[[Topaz (1969 film)|Topaz]]'' (1969), Hitchcock film starring [[John Forsythe]].
 +* ''[[Subterfuge (1969 film)|Subterfuge]]'' (1969), British espionage yarn with [[Gene Barry]]
 +* ''[[The Kremlin Letter]]'' (1970)
 +* ''[[Night Flight from Moscow]]'' (1972)
 +* ''[[The Day of the Jackal (film)|The Day of the Jackal]]'' (1973)
 +* ''[[Scorpio (film)|Scorpio]]'' (1973), with [[Burt Lancaster]]
 +* ''[[The Mackintosh Man]]'' (1973), John Huston film with Paul Newman.
 +* ''[[The Black Windmill]]'' (1974)
 +* ''[[The Odessa File (film)|The Odessa File]]'' (1974)
 +* ''[[Three Days of the Condor]]'' (1975)
 +* ''[[The Eiger Sanction (film)|The Eiger Sanction]]'' (1975)
 +* ''[[Eye of the Needle (film)|Eye of the Needle]]'' (1981), WWII espionage from the [[Ken Follett]] novel.
 +* ''[[TASS Is Authorized to Declare...]]'' (1984) Soviet spy film
 +* ''[[The Falcon and the Snowman]]'' (1985), based on a true story.
 +* ''[[The Holcroft Covenant (film)|The Holcroft Covenant]]'' (1985), story from Robert Ludlum starring Michael Caine
 +* ''[[The Fourth Protocol (film)|The Fourth Protocol]]'' (1987)
 +* ''[[The Russia House]]'' (1990), post-Cold War story from [[John le Carré]] novel
 +* [[Jack Ryan (Tom Clancy character)|The Jack Ryan series]]
 +** ''[[The Hunt for Red October (film)|The Hunt for Red October]]'' (1990)
 +** ''[[Patriot Games (film)|Patriot Games]]'' (1992)
 +** ''[[Clear and Present Danger (film)|Clear and Present Danger]]'' (1994)
 +** ''[[The Sum of All Fears (film)|The Sum of All Fears]]'' (2002)
 +* ''[[The Assignment (1997 film)|The Assignment]]'' (1997)
 +* ''[[Conspiracy Theory (film)|Conspiracy Theory]]'' (1997)
 +* ''[[Ronin (film)|Ronin]]'' (1998)
 +* ''[[Enemy of the State (film)|Enemy of the State]]'' (1998)
 +* ''[[Enigma (2001 film)|Enigma]]'' (2001)
 +* ''[[Spy Game]]'' (2001), with [[Robert Redford]] and [[Brad Pitt]].
 +* ''[[The Tailor of Panama]]'' (2001)
 +* [[Bourne (film series)|The Bourne film series]]
 +**''[[The Bourne Identity (2002 film)|The Bourne Identity]]'' (2002)
 +**''[[The Bourne Supremacy (film)|The Bourne Supremacy]]'' (2004)
 +**''[[The Bourne Ultimatum (film)|The Bourne Ultimatum]]'' (2007)
 +* ''[[The Recruit]]'' (2003)
 +* ''[[Spartan (film)|Spartan]]'' (2004)
 +* ''[[Munich (film)|Munich]]'' (2005), [[Steven Spielberg]] film based on real events.
 +* ''[[Syriana]]'' (2005), political thriller set in the Middle East.
 +* ''[[The Good Shepherd (film)|The Good Shepherd]]'' (2006)
 +* ''[[Casino Royale (2006 film)|Casino Royale]]'' (2006), from the [[James Bond (film series)|James Bond film series]]
 +* ''[[Black Book (film)|Black Book]]'' (2006)
 +* ''[[The Good German|The Good German]]'' (2006)
 +* ''[[Breach (film)|Breach]]'' (2007)
 +* ''[[Rendition (film)|Rendition]]'' (2007)
 +* ''[[Body of Lies (film)|Body of Lies]]'' (2008)
 +* ''[[Taken (film)|Taken]]'' (2008)
 +* ''[[Traitor (film)|Traitor]]'' (2008)
 +* ''[[Quantum of Solace]]'' (2008), from the [[James Bond (film series)|James Bond film series]]
 +* ''[[The International (film)|The International]]'' (2009)
 +* ''[[Salt (2010 film)|Salt]]'' (2010)
 +* ''[[The American (2010 film)|The American]]'' (2010)
 +* ''[[From Paris with Love (film)|From Paris with Love]]'' (2010)
 +* ''[[Fair Game (2010 film)|Fair Game]]'' (2010)
 +* ''[[The Tourist (2010 film)|The Tourist]]'' (2010)
 +* ''[[Unknown (2011 film)|Unknown]]'' (2011)
 +* ''[[Hanna (film)|Hanna]]'' (2011)
 + 
 +==Fantasy-oriented films and satire==
 +Some of the popular films with fantasy or satirical elements include:
 + 
 +* ''[[My Favorite Spy]]'' (1951), Bob Hope in a mistaken-identity comedy.
 +* ''[[James Bond film series]]'', from ''[[You Only Live Twice (film)|You Only Live Twice]]'' (1967) to ''[[Die Another Day]]'' (2002), with the exception of ''[[On Her Majesty's Secret Service (film)|On Her Majesty's Secret Service]]'' (1969) and ''[[For Your Eyes Only (film)|For Your Eyes Only]]'' (1981).
 +* ''[[Hot Enough for June|Agent 8{{frac|3|4}}]]'' (1964), British spy comedy with Dirk Bogarde.
 +* ''[[That Man from Rio]]'' (1964), French spoof of Bond-type films starring [[Jean-Paul Belmondo]].
 +* ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E]]'' (1965–1968) 8 spin-off films made from 2-part episodes and added footage.
 +* ''[[The Second Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World]]'' (1965), British satire of the James Bond films.
 +* ''[[Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine]]'' (1965) and ''[[Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs]]'' (1966) satirize the James Bond films, particularly ''[[Goldfinger (film)|Goldfinger]]''.
 +* ''[[Agent for H.A.R.M.]]'' (1966), originally a [[television pilot]] released as a feature film.
 +* ''[[The Man Called Flintstone]]'' (1966), feature-length cartoon based on TV series parodies spy films.
 +* ''[[A Man Could Get Killed]]'' (1966), mistaken-identity spy spoof with [[James Garner]].
 +* ''[[The Glass Bottom Boat]]'' (1966), Doris Day mistaken for a spy; Robert Vaughn cameo as Napoleon Solo.
 +* ''[[Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die]]'' (1966), campy Italian spoof of the Bond films.
 +* ''[[Our Man Flint]]'' and ''[[In Like Flint]]'' (1966–1967) with James Coburn as a Bond-like American agent.
 +* The [[Matt Helm]] series starring [[Dean Martin]] (1966–1969), serious spy novels "Martinized" into campy spoofs.
 +* ''[[Modesty Blaise (1966 film)|Modesty Blaise]]'' (1966), partial satire based on comic strip about sexy female spy.
 +* ''[[The Last of the Secret Agents]]'' (1966), Allen & Rossi comedy with [[Nancy Sinatra]]
 +* ''[[What's Up, Tiger Lily?]]'' (1966), [[Woody Allen]] comedy re-dubs the dialog of a low-budget Japanese spy film.
 +* ''[[Casino Royale (1967 film)]]'' campy parody of the James Bond series.
 +* ''[[Fathom_(film)|Fathom]]'' (1967), comedic spy caper with [[Raquel Welch]].
 +* ''[[The President's Analyst]]'' (1967) counterculture satire of spy films, Cold War politics, etc.
 +* ''[[Deadlier Than the Male]]'' (1967) and sequel ''[[Some Girls Do]]'' (1969), Bulldog Drummond returns as Bond-like hero.
 +* ''[[The Million Eyes of Sumuru]]'' (1967), tongue-in-cheek yarn with [[Frankie Avalon]] and ''Goldfinger'''s [[Shirley Eaton]].
 +* ''[[S.O.S. Conspiracion Bikini]]'' (1967), Mexico's answer to James Bond with [[Julio Aleman]] as secret agent Alex Dinamo.
 +* ''[[Hammerhead (1968 film)|Hammerhead]]'' (1968), imitative British Bond knockoff with Vince Edwards.
 +* ''[[Danger Girls]]'' aka ''Peligro...! Mujeres en Acción'' (1969), Mexican spy yarn, sequel to ''S.O.S. Conspiracion Bikini''.
 +* ''[[The Doll Squad]]'' (1973), [[sexploitation]] film about female undercover agents from [[Ted V. Mikels]].
 +* ''[[Top Secret!]]'' (1984), slapstick espionage comedy.
 +* ''[[Spies Like Us]]'' (1985), comedy with [[Chevy Chase]] and [[Dan Aykroyd]].
 +* ''[[Nikita (film)|Nikita]]'' aka ''La Femme Nikita'' (1990), French film inspired the TV series ''[[La Femme Nikita]]'' (1997–2001)
 +* ''[[If Looks Could Kill]]'' (1991), a mistaken-identity comedy.
 +* ''[[Point of No Return (film)|Point of No Return]]'' (1993) English-language remake of ''La Femme Nikita'' with [[Bridget Fonda]].
 +* ''[[True Lies]]'' (1994), [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] action-comedy.
 +* ''[[Spy Hard]]'' (1996), [[Leslie Nielsen]] spoofs James Bond and action films.
 +* ''[[The Rock (film)|The Rock]]'' (1996)
 +* ''[[Mission: Impossible (movie)|Mission: Impossible]]'' film series (1996–2006), a remake of the TV series.
 +* ''[[Austin Powers (film series)|Austin Powers]]'' series (1997–2002), spoofs '60s films like ''Casino Royale'' and the Matt Helm/Derek Flint series.
 +* ''[[The Man Who Knew Too Little]]'' (1997), mistaken-identity comedy with [[Bill Murray]].
 +* ''[[The Saint (film)|The Saint]]'' (1997)
 +* The ''[[xXx]]'' film series (2002–2005) with Vin Diesel, Ice Cube, Samuel L. Jackson
 +* ''[[Confessions of a Dangerous Mind]]'' (2002)
 +*''[[Cypher (film)|Cypher]] (2002)
 +* The ''[[Agent Cody Banks]]'' film series (2003)
 +* ''[[Johnny English]]'' (2003), a James Bond spoof with Rowan Atkinson.
 +* ''[[D.E.B.S. (2004 film)|D.E.B.S.]]'' (2004), offbeat female-based spy spoof.
 +* ''[[Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005 film)|Mr. & Mrs. Smith]]'' (2005), action-comedy about two undercover assassins.
 +* ''[[Aeon Flux]]'' (2005), [[Charlize Theron]] spy-fi film based on animated MTV mini-series.
 +* ''[[The Matador]]'' (2006), black comedy with former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan.
 +* ''[[OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies]]'' (2006); French parody of the OSS series.
 +* The ''[[Spy Kids trilogy|Spy Kids]]'' trilogy 2001–2003
 +* ''[[Stormbreaker (film)|Stormbreaker]]'' (2006), aka ''Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker''
 +* ''[[RSTC: Reserve Spy Training Corps]]'' (2006)
 +* ''[[Get Smart (film)|Get Smart]]'' (2008) comedy based on the popular 1960s spy-spoof TV series.
 +* ''[[Burn After Reading]]'' (2008), Coen brothers farce about inept spies and blackmail.
 +* ''[[OSS 117: Rio ne répond plus]]'' aka [[OSS 117: Lost in Rio]] (2009), parody of the OSS series set in 1967.
 +* ''[[Knight and Day]]'' (2010)
 +* ''[[Cars 2]]'' (2011)
 + 
 + 
 +(See also: [[Parodies of James Bond]])
 + 
 +==TV shows==
 +* ''[[Danger Man]]'' (1960–1962) and (1964–1966), aka ''Secret Agent'' in the U.S.
 +* ''[[The Avengers (TV series)|The Avengers]]'' (1961–1969), British [[Spy-fi]] with Patrick Macnee, Diana Rigg, Honor Blackman, Linda Thorson.
 +* ''[[Espionage (TV series)|Espionage]]'' (1963), a short-lived television drama depicting espionage in various eras of history.
 +* ''[[The Saint (TV series)|The Saint]]'' (1962–1969), mystery series that became more Bond-like with future 007 [[Roger Moore]].
 +* ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E]]'' (1964–1968), tongue-in-cheek spy adventure series.
 +* ''[[The Girl from U.N.C.L.E]]'' (1966–1967), campy spin-off series starring [[Stefanie Powers]].
 +* ''Amos Burke, Secret Agent'' (1965–1966), ''[[Burke's Law]]'' revamped to join the spy trend
 +* ''[[I Spy (1965 TV series)|I Spy]]'' (1965–1968), realistic drama with comedic touches.
 +* ''[[The Wild Wild West]]'' (1965–1969), unique blend of spy, action, western, fantasy, sci-fi and [[steampunk]] genres.
 +* ''[[Get Smart]]'' (1965–1970), Mel Brooks parody of the spy genre.
 +* ''[[Mission: Impossible]]'' (1966–1973), (1988–1990), espionage-suspense about experts of deception who form sting-operation team.
 +* ''[[The Prisoner]]'' (1967), allegorical miniseries with [[Spy-fi]] elements
 +* ''[[Stawka większa niż życie]]'' (1967–1968)
 +* ''[[Callan (TV series)|Callan]]'' (1967–1972)
 +* ''[[It Takes a Thief (1968 TV series)|It Takes a Thief]]'' (1968–70) suave cat burglar ([[Robert Wagner]]) forced to work for CIA-like agency.
 +* ''[[Search (TV series)|Search]]'' (1972–73) Spy-fi series, agents implanted with hi-tech devices.
 +* ''[[Seventeen Moments of Spring]]'' (1973), Soviet drama about Soviet agent in Nazi Germany.
 +* ''[[The Sandbaggers]]'' (1978–1980), British Cold War drama.
 +* ''[[Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy]]'' (1979), British miniseries from [[John le Carré]] novel.
 +* ''[[A Man Called Sloane]]'' (1979–80), combination of ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' and ''The Wild Wild West''
 +* ''[[Reilly, Ace of Spies]]'' (1980), PBS miniseries based on real events in Russia in 1918.
 +* ''[[Smiley's People]]'' (1982), British miniseries from [[John le Carré]] novel; sequel to [[Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy]] (1979), both starring [[Alec Guinness]].
 +* ''[[Pogranicze w ogniu]]'' (1988), Polish series about actions of Polish and German intelligence services between WW I and WW II.
 +* ''[[Aeon Flux]]'' (1995), MTV animated [[Spy-fi]] mini-series made into feature film in 2005.
 +* ''[[Spy Game (TV series)|Spy Game]]'' (1997), failed attempt to revive the tongue-in-cheek spy concept
 +* ''[[La Femme Nikita]]'' (1997–2001), [[Peta Wilson]] series based on the film ''[[Nikita (film)|Nikita]]''
 +* ''[[The Agency (2001 TV series)|The Agency]]'' (2001–2003)
 +* ''[[Alias (TV series)|Alias]]'' (2001–2006), starring [[Jennifer Garner]] as an undercover agent who assumes various identities.
 +* ''[[24 (TV series)|24]]'' (2001–2010), real-time action drama with [[Kiefer Sutherland]] as government agent.
 +* ''[[She Spies]]'' (2002–2004)
 +* ''[[Spooks]]'' (2002–present), aka ''MI-5'' in the U.S. and Canada
 +* ''[[L/R: Licensed by Royalty]]'' (2003)
 +* ''[[The Company (TV miniseries)|The Company]]'' (2007), TV miniseries about the [[CIA]] during the [[Cold War]] from the Robert Littell book.
 +* ''[[Burn Notice]]'' (2007–present)
 +* ''[[Chuck (TV series)|Chuck]]'' (2007–present) comedy-adventure about average guy caught up in espionage.
 +* ''[[The Middleman (TV series)|The Middleman]]'' (2008), [[Spy-fi]] action-comedy about college girl recruited by a secret agency.
 +* ''[[M.I. High]]'' (2007–present) The series following the adventures of three secondary school pupils who work as spies.
 +* ''[[Human Target (2010 TV series)|Human Target]]'' (2010–present) action drama about a bodyguard frequently involved in espionage.
 +* ''[[Covert Affairs]]'' (2010–present), the story of a young female CIA agent.
 +* ''[[Undercovers (TV series)|Undercovers]]'' (2010), short-lived series about husband-and-wife [[CIA]] agents.
 +* ''[[Nikita (TV series)|Nikita]]'' (2010–present), remake of the ''[[La Femme Nikita]]'' series.
 + 
 +Spy films or television series that include elements of [[science fiction]] are sometimes called [[Spy-fi]].
 + 
 +{{GFDL}}

Revision as of 07:41, 12 April 2012

Related e

Wikipedia
Wiktionary
Shop


Featured:

The spy film genre deals with the subject of fictional espionage, either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations of John Le Carré) or as a basis for fantasy (such as James Bond). Many novels in the spy fiction genre have been adapted as films, including works by John Buchan, John Le Carré, Ian Fleming and Len Deighton. It is a significant aspect of British cinema, with leading British directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Carol Reed making notable contributions and many films set in the British Secret Service.

Contents

History

The spy film genre began in the silent era, with the paranoia of invasion literature and the start of the First World War. These produced the British 1914 'The German Spy Peril' (centred around a plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament) and 'O.H.M.S.' (standing for Our Helpless Millions Saved as well as On Her Majesty's Service, and introducing for the first time a strong female character who helps the hero).

In 1928, Fritz Lang made the film Spies which contained many tropes that became popular in later spy dramas, including secret headquarters, an agent known by a number, and the beautiful foreign agent who comes to love the hero. Lang's Dr. Mabuse films from the period also contain elements of spy thrillers, though the central character is a criminal mastermind only interested in espionage for profit. Additionally, several of Lang's American films, such as Hangmen Also Die, deal with spies during World War II.

Alfred Hitchcock did much to popularise the spy film in the 1930s with his influential thrillers The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), The 39 Steps (1935), Sabotage (1937) and The Lady Vanishes (1938). These often involved innocent civilians being caught up in international conspiracies. Some, however, dealt with professional spies as in Hitchcock's Secret Agent (1936), based on W. Somerset Maugham's Ashenden stories.

In the 1940s and early 1950s there were several films made about the exploits of Allied agents in occupied Europe, which could probably be considered as a sub-genre. 13 Rue Madeleine and O.S.S. were fictional stories about American agents in German-occupied France, and there were a number of films based on the stories of real-life British S.O.E. agents, including Odette and Carve Her Name With Pride. A more recent fictional example is Charlotte Gray, based on the novel by Sebastian Faulks.

Also during the period, there were many detective films (The Thin Man Goes Home and Charlie Chan in the Secret Service for example) in which the mystery involved who stole the secret blue-prints, or who kidnapped the famous scientist.

The peak of popularity of the spy film is often considered to be the 1960s when Cold War fears meshed with a desire by audiences to see exciting and suspenseful films. The espionage film developed in two directions at this time. On the one hand, the realistic spy novels of Len Deighton and John le Carré were adapted into relatively serious Cold War thrillers which dealt with some of the realities of the espionage world. Some of these films included The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965), The Deadly Affair (1966), and the Harry Palmer series, based on the novels of Len Deighton.

At the same time, the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming were adapted into an increasingly fantastical series of tongue-in-cheek adventure films by producers Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli, with Sean Connery as the star. The phenomenal success of the Bond series lead to a deluge of imitators, such as the Eurospy genre and several from America. Among the best known examples were the two 'Derek Flint' films starring James Coburn, and the Matt Helm series with Dean Martin. Television also got into the act with series like The Man from U.N.C.L.E and I Spy in the U.S., and Danger Man and The Avengers in Britain. Spies have remained popular on TV to the present day with series such as Callan, Alias and Spooks.

Spy films also enjoyed something of a revival in the late 1990s, although these were often action films with espionage elements, or comedies like Austin Powers. Today, spy films have trended away from fantasy elements in favor of realism. This trend can be seen in Syriana, the Bourne film series and the more recent James Bond films Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008).

Films

Some of the most popular films include:

Fantasy-oriented films and satire

Some of the popular films with fantasy or satirical elements include:


(See also: Parodies of James Bond)

TV shows

Spy films or television series that include elements of science fiction are sometimes called Spy-fi.




Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "Spy film" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

Personal tools