GusF One of the first films concerning D-Day, this is a very entertaining spy thriller written by Frank Launder (who also directed) and Sidney Gilliat. It is the only film that I ever seen dealing with the issue of the Irish Free State's neutrality in World War II, albeit somewhat indirectly, and the only one that I am even aware of so this Irishman found it very interesting on that score, particularly since my PhD thesis concerns Irish society and the way that it shaped Irish law from the 1920s to the 1940s. The film's first half was certainly its strongest as I found the introduction of the bumbling Goodhusband and the more competent Spanswick to be slightly distracting. When they arrived on the scene, it became something of a farce as opposed to a thriller with some comedic elements. The film bears some superficial similarities to Launder and Gilliat's earlier and better written film "The Lady Vanishes". Goodhusband and Spanswick are essentially less funny versions of Charters and Caldicott.Deborah Kerr is wonderful in the lead role of Bridie Quilty, an extremely nationalistic 21-year-old Irishwoman who was raised on a diet of her late father's tall tales about his alleged participation in the 1916 Rising and the Irish War of Independence. Taking the old Fenian motto "England's difficulty is Ireland's opportunity" to heart, she attempts to join the IRA. However, she is rebuked by Michael O'Callaghan, a former senior republican who has become the curator of an art gallery, who now believes that peaceful, constitutional means should be employed in Anglo-Irish relations. I don't know if he was based on any Irish figure in particular but this was a fairly common story among less radical members of the republican elite in 1940s Ireland, many of whom were or had been in government. Her dreams of joining the IRA dashed, she becomes a spy for the Nazis. In spite of this, however, Bridie remains a sympathetic character as it is clear that she is essentially a good person and that her romanticised ideas about Ireland and fighting the British are being manipulated by the British fascists in the Germans' employ. While I doubt that any of them were as naive as Bridie, this is based on the fact that there was cooperation between IRA members and the Abwehr, the Nazi intelligence service, during the war. Kerr's Irish accent is absolutely pitch perfect in every respect. I have never heard a better Irish accent in any film or TV series, which is refreshing that since many of them are very bad.The quintessential Englishman Trevor Howard is very good as David Baynes, a British Army officer to whom Bridie takes an instance dislike for the sole reason of his nationality. Things get even worse when she discovers that he is writing his thesis on Oliver Cromwell, easily the most hated figure in Irish history. Kerr and Howard have great chemistry and their combative relationship is joy to watch. However, over the course of the film, Bridie comes to appreciate that the British are not all bad as she and David gradually fall in love. She comes into the possession of information concerning the location of the D-Day landings which she was supposed to pass on to the Germans but she decides against it after she realises that she would responsible for the deaths of thousands of British and, more importantly to her, Irish soldiers. The film features great appearances from Raymond Huntley, Brefni O'Rourke, Norman Shelley, David Tomlinson, Joan Hickson and George Woodbridge. With the exception of Bridie herself, all of the Irish characters are played by Irish actors and I appreciated that even though none of them have a big role. I have to say though that I'd have preferred if David Niven had been the male lead since he was a better actor than Howard. Plus he was even more quintessentially English! The film does an excellent job at capturing the colloquialisms of Irish English such as beginning sentences with "ara" when disagreeing with someone and saying "at all at all." These days, such expressions are typically only used by older people, particularly ones from rural areas, but they were considerably more common when the film was made and set. The early and closing parts of the film were actually shot in Ireland, specifically Dublin, Wexford and Louth. When it came to the Dublin scenes, I saw numerous places that I recognised such as the exterior of Heuston Station (or Kingsbridge Station as it was then) and O'Connell Street. The former has not changed since the building was already a century old by then but O'Connell Street has changed quite a bit. Most notably, Nelson's Pillar, which was destroyed by the IRA in 1966, is clearly visible. It also features references to Raidio Éireann, the precursor to RTÉ, and well known Irish figures such as Padraig Pearse, James Connolly, J.M. Synge and Jack B. Yeats. Considering that I don't typically watch Irish films or TV (bar current affairs) since most of them aren't very good, it is a bit of a novelty to hear these things mentioned in a film or, for that matter, to see places that I visit on a regular basis.Overall, this is a very good film but it would have been an even better one if it had maintained its more serious tone throughout rather than introducing more farcical elements. The ending is a little silly. Incidentally, of the three D-Day related films that I have watched in the last two months, this is the only one not to feature an actual D-Day veteran in the cast as Richard Todd appeared in "The Longest Day" and James Doohan appeared in "36 Hours".

LeonLouisRicci Odd Combination of Wartime Espionage, Political Intrigue, Nationalism, Film-Noir, and Slapstick. Not Surprisingly Not All of it Worked so Well. Deborah Kerr is an Irish Beauty who Hates the Brits and is Loathsome of Cromwell (much humor is made of this) and is Out to Join the IRA for Some Payback.It's Convoluted Plot Waivers, Confuses, and the Humor Never Meshes. This is One that the Parts are Better than the Whole. Trevor Howard is a Doting and Bland Waste and has a Lot of Screen Time and that Doesn't Help. The Nazi Spies are the Best Part and the Scenes where They are in Full Evil Mode are what Keeps the Movie Afloat. Along with the Effervescent Kerr.Only the Brits Could Find a Horse and Buggy Chase (this is WWII not Sherlock Holmes) Very Exciting and the Bathroom Fight in the End is Just Out of Place and Embarrassing. Overall, Worth a Watch for Kerr, but Film-Noir, Spy, and WWII Fans are Likely to be Divided. Offbeat and Historically Interesting Enough to be Something Special, but as Entertainment and a Full Fledged Film, Not So Much.

Panamint Deborah Kerr portrays every emotion, from hate to love to fear and everything in between, with consummate skill. Her range of emotion is astonishing. If you pay careful attention you will observe subtleties and range of performance that most actors cannot achieve.Few viewers in the USA may be able to relate to the Irish Problems or European WWII themes, however these themes are more interesting than you might expect, so give them a chance. This movie exploits the themes to provide a high level of tension, particularly a harrowing scene in a crowded train compartment where someone is about to be arrested. Also, there is a "corpse in a wheelchair" sequence that is very well done. The gritty, grimy world of wartime spies is also well-portrayed in this film. A British actor named Raymond Huntley is terrific in one of the best cool, ruthless, living-on-the-edge spy roles you will ever see. Trevor Howard is a perfect male lead to offset the high-strung, headstrong young woman portrayed by Ms Kerr.The plot itself is tense throughout. Forget about the film's age, its black-and-white filming, or any other concerns you may have. Watch this one and you will enjoy.

Jem Odewahn (Also known as THE ADVENTURESS) I SEE A DARK STRANGER is a film made for Individual Pictures in 1946. Deborah Kerr (complete with an impressively maintained Irish accent) stars as Bridie Quilty, an Irish girl who hates the English and Cronwell so much she joins the IRA and starts doing espionage work. But things spiral out of control very quickly when Bridie realizes what she has really got into, and starts to fall for an English man (Trevor Howard).I thought Kerr gave an excellent performance in this one. She is very young here and looks absolutely stunning in black-and-white. This film, along with BLACK NARCISSUS, made Deborah a star and she won the New York Film Critics Best Actress Award for her work in both films. The film is quite fast-paced and is competently and creatively directed by Frank Launder. It is Kerr's confident and delicate work with her character that carries the film and prevents it from turning into farce in the second half.I SEE A DARK STRANGER features some great black-and-white cinematography and location shooting. It was actually shot in all the places the narrative covers (no back lot shooting here)- Dublin, Isle of Man and Devon, England. Kerr (complete with voice-over, a nice touch) does a great job of suggesting Bridie's hot-headed stubbornness and desperation. Howard gets less screen time yet he is convincing as the English soldier gradually falling for Kerr. Raymond Huntley is wonderful in support.This film is maybe best known for the famous "body in a wheelchair" sequence, a finely directed and acted moment of suspense. However, there are many great sequences on show here and I SEE A DARK STRANGER is truly a memorable film.9/10.