The Spy in Black

Dir: Michael Powell

1939

*****

The Spy in Black (or U-Boat 29 as it was known in the US) isn’t necessarily the first film that comes to mind when you think Powell and Pressburger but this is the first collaboration between Michael and Emeric and I still think it is one of the best First World War films ever made. The realism is excellent and its even more impressive when you realise it was made in 1938 and released just twenty-two days before the Second World War began. With all the knowledge in the world, war films still aren’t as accurate to the same level as this. The story begins in March 1917, as Captain Hardt (Conrad Veidt), a World War I German U-boat commander, is ordered to lead a mission to attack the British Fleet at Scapa Flow, rendezvousing at the Old Man of Hoy. He sneaks ashore on the Orkney Islands to meet his contact, Fräulein Tiel (Valerie Hobson). Tiel has taken over the identity of a new local schoolteacher, Miss Anne Burnett (June Duprez), who German agents had intercepted en route to the island. Hardt finds himself attracted to her, but Tiel shows no interest. The Germans are aided by a disgraced Royal Navy officer, the former Commander Ashington (Sebastian Shaw) who, according to Tiel, has agreed to aid the Germans after losing his command due to drunkenness, and Tiel implies that she has slept with Ashington to obtain his cooperation. The plan is almost disrupted when Burnett's fiancé, Rev. Harris, arrives unexpectedly, but the spies take him captive. Then the local minister, Matthews, and his wife (who had already met Harris) come to the house, but Tiel manages to get them to leave. Now equipped with the crucial information he needs about the British fleet movements, Hardt rendezvous with his submarine to arrange for a fleet of U-Boats to attack. Returning to the house, and confident that all is going to plan, Hardt makes advances to Tiel, but she rebuffs him. She leaves the house, believing she has locked Hardt in his room, but he gets out and secretly follows her, discovering that she has gone out to meet Ashington. Hardt overhears them talking and learns the truth: the British are fully aware of his presence, and have turned his mission into a trap for the U-Boats. Hardt's "contacts" are really British double agents – Ashington is in fact RN Commander Blacklock, and "Fräulein Tiel" is Blacklock's wife, Jill. As Jill prepares to leave the island, Blacklock returns to the house to arrest Hardt, only to find he has eluded them. Disguised in Rev. Harris's clothes, Hardt manages to board the island ferry, which is also carrying Jill, a number of civilian passengers, and eight German POWs. Blacklock reports Hardt's escape to the base commander, who explains that the British had learned of the Germans' plan because the real Anne Burnett luckily survived the German agents' attempt to kill her by throwing her into the sea. At sea, Hardt manages to free the German prisoners and they seize the ferry. The Royal Navy pursue them, but before they can catch up, the ferry is intercepted by Hardt's submarine, and Hardt's first officer (Marius Goring) decides to sink it. As the U-boat surfaces and prepares to fire, Hardt realises it is his own submarine. He frantically attempts to signal them, but too late – the U-boat shells the ferry, which begins to sink. By this time the British ships have arrived, and they drop depth charges, destroying the fleeing U-boat. As Jill, the other passengers and the crew abandon the sinking ferry, Hardt realises all is lost, and chooses to go down with the ship. There’s no melodrama or overacting, no pointless romance or excessive acts of bravery, it’s all espionage and real spy stuff. There is a real sophistication to the story, even if the scenario is a little unlikely. It’s amazing that the first half of the film is seen through the eyes of a German officer and that he is the film’s protagonist. It was perhaps the first and last time it ever happened in a non-German war film. The German officer is not the stereotype he would become either and the film is a lot darker than what would become a genre of propaganda. It feels more honest because this was, perhaps, a more honest look at war, a battle between two side who both feel they are in the right. It’s a British film but the story is balanced, as war films should be where possible. It certainly doesn’t shy away from the dark truths of victory and of the deeds that often need doing to achieve it. If James Bond was made like this it would be more real but he wouldn’t have enjoyed so many films, he would have been cut after three at the most. Powell and Pressburger would go from strength to strength, exploring the realms of fantasy, comedy, romance and bittersweet drama, but I think you can see the origins of their integrity right here in The Spy in Black. It almost feels like this is where a pact was made, an understanding, an agreement that no matter what the film would be about, it would be true to itself and the characters within. It’s an unsung classic and one we cinephiles should be thankful for.