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5.9/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.9/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Spy 77 remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you're a completist for 1930s espionage flicks or just really need something to watch on a rainy Tuesday. It’s not exactly riveting, but it has that strange, dusty charm of old studio projects. If you hate slow pacing or characters who spend more time staring intensely at each other than actually spying, skip it.
The whole thing feels a bit like a stage play that got lost on its way to the theater. There is this one scene where Greta Nissen is just leaning against a mantelpiece for what feels like ten minutes. She's supposed to be distressed, I think? But mostly she’s just holding a pose. It’s odd.
The plot tries to be this grand, tragic thing about duty. You know, the classic “I love you but I have to report you to the high command” vibe. It feels like a watered-down version of themes you might find in Laster der Menschheit, just without the grit.
There’s a moment near the middle where the Austrian officer—Karl Ludwig Diehl—is looking at a map. He stares at it so hard you'd think the paper was going to burst into flames. It’s funny because nobody ever actually does any real spy stuff. It’s mostly just people in rooms talking about how dangerous things are.
The tragedy at the end? You see it coming from a mile away. It lacks that punch you get from a film like The Last of the Lone Wolf, where the stakes actually feel personal. Here, it’s just a box being checked.
It’s a movie that tries very hard to be serious, which is exactly why it’s not very fun. Sometimes you just want a movie to let its hair down, but this one keeps its collar buttoned to the very top. It's not a disaster, but it’s definitely not a classic. 🕰️