directed by Simon Langton
This is a mid 80s British spy thriller that is carried by a powerful but understated performance by Michael Caine. It is a truism that until people experience something horrible they may lack the perspective to be empathetic to previous sufferers. People often accuse their political opponents of having this trait and of thereby being, well, sinful.
I think that this is a human trait, and not one that is by amazing coincidence only found among people you loathe.
There are many stories where the protagonist discovers that his own organization, corporation, group, people, or race, whose immorality he was happy to ignore or even profit from, has harmed or even killed the protagonist's loved one--someone in the in-group.
The protagonist is heartbroken, bewildered, and angered. He may take extreme actions like switching sides, informing the authorities, or going on a roaring rampage of revenge.
It's rare though, unless the creator really wants to drive home the moral point, that the protagonist finally understands that harming all those other people who weren't his wife, child, lover, sibling, cousin, friend, etc was also wrong.
Frank Jones (Michael Caine) is a retired British naval intelligence officer and pilot. Frank doesn't think it's useful to revisit the past. For God, King, and Country is Frank's basic outlook on life.
The temperamentally, if not necessarily politically, conservative Frank works as an office equipment salesman. Frank isn't rich. Frank's the epitome of don't complain, never explain British stiff upper lip.
Frank enjoys seeing his son Bob (Nigel Havers). Bob is a Russian language enthusiast who works for British intelligence listening to Russian conversations. Unlike his Dad, Bob is decidedly liberal. Bob is disillusioned with his job.
Because of an intelligence breach, Bob and his co-workers were urged to monitor each other. Bob has discovered unsavory British political and intelligence actions, things that make him think the UK is no better than its so-called adversaries.
Frank thinks Bob should do his job and keep quiet. Bob disagrees. Bob has a very strong belief in right and wrong. Against his father's advice, Bob has been talking to a left-wing reporter Bill Pickett (Kenneth Colley). Bob may have something big for Bill.
Frank receives some cryptic warnings from an old navy buddy (Barry Foster), now with MI6, that Bob is in over his head. Any scandal Bob causes won't be good for Bob or Frank.
Coincidentally, just before Bob and Bill were to meet, Bob dies in a fall from his rooftop. The coroner says it's probably suicide. Or maybe accidental. Anyway that's that.
But that is most certainly NOT that. Emotionally devastated, Frank can't help but notice that there is no suicide note and that the famously messy Bob left his apartment as neat as a pin. Trying to find closure Frank begins asking a few questions.
This blossoms into a full scale investigation when the reporter Bill dies in a suspicious car "accident". Hoping he won't find what he thinks he's going to find Frank starts pulling on some strings. And the people holding those strings pull back. Hard.
Caine runs the gamut of human emotions in his role. The people that Frank is pursuing have a utilitarian big picture view of human life, one which they are sure is justified. You may watch this movie and think about some uncomfortable similarities with American political decisions. This is a quiet film that's about matching wits and hidden threats, not cleavage, explosions, and gunfights. John Gielgud and James Fox have roles.
