Hiding behind the mask of calm solitude, Nazi German spy Donald Sutherland is as quiet a killing machine as he is a lover. Having British secrets on the intention of a full scale on Germany, Sutherland doesn't hesitate to knife anybody who stands in his way, even co-conspirators he feels might reveal too much if captured. While trying to get the information to a German submarine, his boat capsizes, and he ends up on a British island where he is nursed back to health by the unhappily married Kate Nelligan and Christopher Cazenove, crippled in a car accident on their wedding night. Sutherland's presence brings out a longing for love by Nelligan and suspicion by Cazenove, and as Nelligan gets clues of her own, she realizes that she's fallen in love with a monster.
Subtle and mesmerizing, this gives an on-site into the insanity which took over the minds who chose to follow the Nazi regime. The story switches back and forth between the British investigation as to his whereabouts and Nelligan's plot to prevent him from going any further. The strength of individuals determined to stop evil keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the fact that Sutherland delivers such a quiet, often thoughtful performance, makes his character all the more creepy. This may not be in the realm of other recent Nazi related movies (such as "Marathon Man" and "The Boys From Brazil"), but it's extremely riveting none the less.
Subtle and mesmerizing, this gives an on-site into the insanity which took over the minds who chose to follow the Nazi regime. The story switches back and forth between the British investigation as to his whereabouts and Nelligan's plot to prevent him from going any further. The strength of individuals determined to stop evil keeps you on the edge of your seat, and the fact that Sutherland delivers such a quiet, often thoughtful performance, makes his character all the more creepy. This may not be in the realm of other recent Nazi related movies (such as "Marathon Man" and "The Boys From Brazil"), but it's extremely riveting none the less.