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Spy film

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Not to be confused withspy camera.

Thespy film,also known as thespy thriller,is agenre of filmthat deals with the subject of fictionalespionage,either in a realistic way (such as the adaptations ofJohn le Carré) or as a basis for fantasy (such as manyJames Bondfilms). Many novels in thespy fictiongenre have been adapted as films, including works byJohn Buchan,le Carré,Ian Fleming(Bond) andLen Deighton.It is a significant aspect ofBritish cinema,[1]with leading British directors such asAlfred HitchcockandCarol Reedmaking notable contributions and many films set in theBritish Secret Service.[2]

Spy films show the espionage activities ofgovernmentagents and their risk of being discovered by their enemies. From theNaziespionage thrillers of the 1940s to theJames Bond filmsof the 1960s and to the high-tech blockbusters of today, the spy film has always been popular with audiences worldwide. Offering a combination of excitingescapism,technological thrills, andexoticlocales, many spy films combine theactionandscience fictiongenres, presenting clearly delineated heroes for audiences to root for andvillainsfor them to hate. They may also involve elements ofpolitical thrillers.However, there are many that are comedic (mostlyaction comedy filmsif they fall under that genre).

James Bond is the most famous of film spies, but there were also more serious, probing works like le Carré'sThe Spy Who Came in from the Coldthat also emerged from theCold War.As the Cold War ended, the newest villain becameterrorismand more often involved theMiddle East.[3]

History

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The spy film genre began in thesilent era,with the paranoia ofinvasion literatureand the onset of theGreat War.These fears produced the British 1914The German Spy Peril,centered on a plot to blow up theHouses of Parliament,and 1913'sO.H.M.S.,[4]standing for "Our Helpless Millions Saved" as well asOn His Majesty's Service(and introducing for the first time a strong female character who helps the hero).

In 1928,Fritz Langmade the filmSpieswhich contained many tropes that became popular in later spy dramas, including secret headquarters, an agent known by a number, and the beautiful foreign agent who comes to love the hero. Lang'sDr. Mabusefilms from the period also contain elements of spy thrillers, though the central character is a criminal mastermind only interested in espionage for profit. Additionally, several of Lang's American films, such asHangmen Also Die,deal with spies during World War II.

Alfred Hitchcockdid much to popularize the spy film in the 1930s with his influential thrillersThe Man Who Knew Too Much(1934),The 39 Steps(1935),Sabotage(1937) andThe Lady Vanishes(1938). These often involved innocent civilians being caught up in international conspiracies or webs of saboteurs on the home front, as inSaboteur(1942). Some, however, dealt with professional spies, as in Hitchcock'sSecret Agent(1936), based onW. Somerset Maugham'sAshendenstories, or theMr. Motoseries, based on the books ofJohn P. Marquand.

In the 1940s and early 1950s, several films were made about the exploits of Allied agents in occupied Europe, which could be considered a subgenre.13 Rue MadeleineandO.S.S.were fictional stories about American agents in German-occupied France. There were several films based on the stories of real-lifeBritishS.O.E.agents, includingOdetteandCarve Her Name With Pride.A more recent fictional example isCharlotte Gray,based on the novel bySebastian Faulks.

Also during the period, there were many detective films (The Thin Man Goes HomeandCharlie Chan in the Secret Servicefor example) in which the mystery involved who stole the secret blue-prints, or who kidnapped the famous scientist.

In the mid-1950s, Alfred Hitchcock returned to the spy genre withThe Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film),a remake of his1934 film of the same name.He followed this up in 1959 withNorth by Northwest(1959), widely considered one of the most influential works within the spy genre.[5][6][7]

The peak of popularity of spy films is often considered to be the 1960s whenCold Warfears meshed with a desire by audiences to see exciting and suspenseful films. The espionage film developed in two directions at this time. On the one hand, the realistic spy novels ofLen DeightonandJohn le Carréwere adapted into relatively seriousCold Warthrillers that dealt with some of the realities of the espionage world. Some of these films includedThe Spy Who Came in from the Cold(1965),The Deadly Affair(1966),Torn Curtain(1966), and theHarry Palmerseries, based on the novels ofLen Deighton.

In another direction, theJames Bondnovels byIan Flemingwere adapted into an increasingly fantastical series of tongue-in-cheek adventure films by producersHarry SaltzmanandAlbert R. Broccoli,withSean Conneryas the star. They featured secretive and flamboyant supervillains, an archetype that would later become a staple of the explosion of spy movies in the mid-to-late 1960s. The phenomenal success of theBondseries leads to a deluge of imitators, such as theeurospygenre and several from America. Notable examples include the twoDerek Flintfilms starringJames Coburn,The Quiller Memorandum(1966) withGeorge Segal,and theMatt Helmseries withDean Martin.Televisionalso got into the act with series likeThe Man from U.N.C.L.EandI Spyin the U.S., andDanger ManandThe Avengersin Britain. Spies have remained popular on TV to the present day with series such asCallan,AliasandSpooks.

Spy films also enjoyed something of a revival in the late 1990s, although these were often action films with espionage elements or comedies likeAustin Powers.Some critics identify a trend away from fantasy in favor of realism, as observed inSyriana,theBournefilm seriesand theJames Bondfilms starringDaniel CraigsinceCasino Royale(2006).

Films

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Some of the most popular films include:

Movie series(franchises)

One-shots, sequels and remakes

Television series

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Some of the most popular television series include:

Classic era

Modern era

See also

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References

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  1. ^"The Spying Game: British Cinema and the Secret State", 2009Cambridge Film Festival,pp. 54–57 of thefestival brochure.
  2. ^"Spy movies - The guys who came in from the cold".The Independent.October 2, 2009.Archivedfrom the original on 2022-05-24.
  3. ^"Spy Film Movies and Films - Find Spy Film Movie Recommendations, Casts, Reviews, and Summaries - AllRovi".Archived fromthe originalon 2012-01-17.Retrieved2012-01-21.
  4. ^O.H.M.S.atIMDb
  5. ^Foreman, Alison (24 August 2023)."The 20 Best Spy Movies, from 'Enemy of the State' to 'North by Northwest'".IndieWire.Retrieved28 January2024.
  6. ^Allison, Mark (11 July 2019)."How North by Northwest Invented the Modern Action Movie".Den of Geek.Retrieved28 January2024.
  7. ^Patterson, John (12 June 2009)."Hitching a ride with the Master of Suspense".The Guardian.Retrieved28 January2024.
  8. ^The first four focused on illegal street racing and thus they were not spy films
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