Watch A Dandy in Aspic
- Approved
- 1968
- 1 hr 47 min
-
6.2 (1,276)
A Dandy in Aspic is a Cold War spy thriller that was released in 1968. It follows the story of a British spy named Eberlin (Laurence Harvey) who has been tasked with hunting down and killing a fellow British agent named Krasnevin (Mia Farrow) who has defected to the Soviet Union. Eberlin is also being tracked by his own MI6 handler Gatiss (Tom Courtenay) who starts to become suspicious of his loyalty.
The film is set in Berlin in the 1960s against the backdrop of the Cold War. The city is divided into the American, French, British, and Soviet zones, with tensions running high between the two sides. Eberlin is a dandy and a ladies' man who is fond of fine suits, expensive cars, and beautiful women. He is outwardly charismatic and charming, but inwardly tormented by his double life as a spy.
The movie opens with a meeting between Eberlin and Krasnevin in East Berlin. Krasnevin reveals to Eberlin that she wants to defect to the Soviet Union, and asks him to help her escape. Eberlin agrees, but secretly plans to kill her instead. He reports the meeting to MI6 and is given the task of carrying out the assassination.
As Eberlin tries to track down Krasnevin, he begins to have doubts about his mission. He starts to question his loyalty to MI6 and his own identity as a British spy. He starts to have an affair with a beautiful German woman named Caroline (played by Farrow), who he meets while trying to gather information about Krasnevin. As he gets closer to Krasnevin, he starts to develop an unexpected sympathy for her and begins to wonder if he is doing the right thing by trying to kill her.
Meanwhile, Gatiss is growing increasingly suspicious of Eberlin's behaviour. He starts to believe that Eberlin might be a double agent, and begins to follow him more closely. Gatiss also begins to have his own doubts about the morality of the spy game, and starts to question whether the ends justify the means.
As the movie progresses, the tension between Eberlin's loyalty to MI6 and his growing sympathy for Krasnevin and his own identity as a British spy reaches a boiling point. The climax of the movie is a thrilling chase through the streets of Berlin, as Eberlin tries to make his way to the Soviet embassy to defect.
Overall, A Dandy in Aspic is a stylish and suspenseful spy thriller that explores the moral dilemmas faced by Cold War spies. Its complex characters and twisty plot make it a must-see for fans of the genre.
A Dandy in Aspic is a 1968 thriller with a runtime of 1 hour and 47 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.2.