Simply Perfect

Fantastic!

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

For all of the spy and espionage thrillers that have been made into movies, people today may be surprised to learn how old the American secret service is – or rather, how young it is. The CIA is the youngest of all the intelligence agencies of NATO nations. It wasn't formed until late 1947. Yet more movies since the last half of the 20th century have been made about or with CIA involvement in the stories than about any other intelligence organization or other government group. Right behind the CIA, with nearly as many movie numbers is the CIA's elder cousin, MI6 of Great Britain. Still, secret intelligence of the espionage type must have been an anathema to North Americans even through two world wars. That point springs from the details of the major Soviet Union espionage scandal that shocked Canada, the U.S. and the rest of the world in 1946. Even growing up during and after World War II, I don't recall ever having heard it being discussed or written about soon thereafter. I do recall watching a TV game show in the mid-1950s in which I first heard the name Gouzenko. But I didn't know about this movie until recent years."The Iron Curtain" was made in 1948. It is the true story, based on the actual events, that led to the world's discovery of the covert espionage activities of the Soviet Union. It was this discovery that some sources label as the beginning of the Cold War according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Yet, it may never have been known for years or decades to come had it not been for one person – Igor Gouzenko. This movie is his story, from the time he arrived in Canada from Moscow in early 1943 until he defected in Ottawa on Sept. 5, 1945. Gouzenko was a cipher clerk who was loyal to the U.S.S.R. until that time. His wife had arrived from Moscow to join him and their first child was soon born. When he was due to be sent back to Moscow, he decided to defect and take secret espionage files with him. The movie shows how harrowing was his move because of the reluctance of Canadian government offices to believe him, or even to show interest. He even went to a major newspaper and was turned away. How he came to be successful almost seems like a fairy tale. But this is the story on film. Dana Andrews plays Gouzenko superbly. Gene Tierney is his wife, Anna (Svetlana). The supporting cast are all very good in the roles of the top Soviet embassy officials and Canadian Communist party spies. These included Col. Ilya Ranov, head of the Soviet Secret Police (later KGB); Col. Aleksandr Trigorin, chief Soviet military attache; Maj. Semyon Kulin, his deputy; John Grubb (aka "Paul") who established the Canadian Communist Party in 1920 and headed it's espionage activities. While the Soviet embassy officials couldn't be prosecuted, some 39 other civilians and military in government jobs were brought to trial, and 20 convicted of sentences from five years to life in prison. Gouzenko and his family were hidden and protected by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and later were settled in a home with new identities in a Toronto suburb. He later wrote two books and appeared on TV shows with his head hooded to preserve his identity. He died in 1982 and Svetlana died in 2001. In 2003 Ottawa erected a memorial and in 2004 the Canadian government erected a memorial plaque. Some of the names and details in this film have been changed, but it mostly is an accurate portrayal of Gouzenko and his defection. The film appears dark and somber throughout. It was made in black and white and reflects the conditions under which Gouzenko worked and lived at the time. The movie was shot in the actual locales, and the prologue on the film states that all the documents in the film were the authentic items form the real event. While this film could hardly be considered entertaining, it surely is interesting. It provides a good look at the serious espionage activities of the world's largest Communist power and its threat to democracy and peace. On his arrival in Ottawa in 1943, Gouzenko was grilled by the Soviet Secret Police chief, to test his phony credentials. His opening statement is an example of the indoctrination that the Soviets put their own people through. It's a fitting way to end my comments. Gouzenko, "I am now in a foreign country and must always be alert against enemies. I must be careful of all manner of acquaintanceship. I must not engage in cordial conversation with any foreigner whatsoever. Never borrow money from a foreigner. In my apartment, I must be respectful to neighbors but make no friends. I must never permit myself to be more drunk than either my guests or my host. A sober brain, a firm tongue, and alertness. These things must always be with me when I'm with foreigners."

In reviewing this movie, I have to admit my personal bias as a Canadian living in Ottawa where the movie was shot. I had seen it many years ago and liked it so I was excited when it was shown on TCM on Easter eve. I had forgotten many of the scenes, although I know the story well. I appreciated the crisp cutaway shots of Ottawa with Gothic public buildings and brick houses shown against the stark winter backgrounds. I also liked the way the movie was shot in darkness and shadows evoking the Cold War atmosphere. Director Wm. Wellman got the details correct with his script and the visual references to Ottawa landmarks. The Justice Building is the actual Confederation Building still used by the Dept.of Justice. The railway shown running along the Rideau Canal is no longer there but that was the location used by trains in and out of Union Station in downtown Ottawa. The actual apartment where Gouzenko lived is shown. It still stands along with the park across the street where there is signage indicating the historical significance of the site nearby. We also see Somerset St. with a streetcar passing the building where he resided. The Parliament Buildings, the Château Laurier and the National Research Council are all shown and all were pivotal locations for the story. There is a reference to the child of Igor and Anna Gouzenko born at St. Vincent's Hospital, which still stands in the neighbourhood where Gouzenko lived. I like the documentary style also used effectively in other films from that era, such as The House on 92nd Street, Naked City and the Wrong Man. The film noir look is typical of the era and suits the espionage story. Where the movie falls short, however, is in the characters of Igor and Anna Gouzenko as performed by Dana Andrews and Jean Tierney. I can certainly respect the choice of two accomplished actors for the roles; however, these Hollywood icons are a stretch for the Russian couple in the story, especially for a movie that pays such close attention to other details. Nevertheless, I can see that two acting stars would attract attention to the movie and the story. For example, a Cold War museum outside Ottawa, built as a bunker for government leaders in the 1950's, features photos from the movie to highlight the story. As someone with a passion for Canadian history and movies, I have great affection for The Iron Curtain. I was very grateful for TCM bringing this little known movie to its viewers.

The defection of Igor Gouzenko from the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa, Canada, in 1946, was one of the most electrifying events of the Cold War. The documents and information which he brought with him, gained from his work as a top-secret cipher clerk, resulted in the destruction of the main Soviet spy ring in Canada, which included a Member of Parliament and a nuclear scientist who was working on the atomic bomb. This film, with all the locations shot in Ottawa, and its details drawn from the official reports of a Royal Commission, is a fascinating depiction of the true story of Gouzenko from the moment of his arrival in Canada, his first time outside the Soviet Union, till his defection with his wife and child. William Wellmann directed the film in a low-key style, with some documentary linking narration from time to time. Dana Andrews was never so subdued and soft-spoken as Gouzenko in this film, and Gene Tierney is remarkably self-effacing as the devoted wife and mother of an infant. She has no particularly interesting scenes. The really powerful performances in this film are by Berry Kroeger, in his first film appearance, as an insidious, swaggering and menacing mastermind of a Soviet espionage ring, and Eduard Franz as a Soviet major who 'just cannot take it any more' and turns into a drunk. The film is tense and gripping, and follows closely the real life events of this notorious story. June Havoc is effective in a minor role as the resident Soviet honeypot who tests the new staff with alcohol and seduction to see if they are indiscreet. The world inside the Soviet Embassy is convincingly and eerily depicted, a demi-monde and a half-life of people serving Stalin and the Party like grim automatons with dark faces and all humanity stripped out of them. This film gives a nice lesson in the realities of sordid power, and the hollowness of institutionalised betrayal. There are none so low as those who slither.

Excellent film dealing with Soviet spies operating in Canada during World War 11 and afterward.The spying was done out of the Soviet embassy in Canada. There were plenty of non-Canadians involved in the spy ring as well.This film was a true story. Dana Andrews gives a subdued performance as a Soviet decoder who comes to appreciate democracy. He is soon joined in Canada by his wife who is played by Gene Tierney. She brings a simplicity to the role as the Soviet wife who also comes to respect a democratic way of life.There is an excellent performance by Eduard Franz, who plays an disenchanted alcoholic Soviet official, whose disdain for Soviet life will lead him back to the Soviet Union.The film is exciting since it shows how no one wanted to listen to Andrews unraveling of the spy ring.