THE INNOCENT (UND DER HIMMEL STEHT STILL)
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1995 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 5.0
United Kingdom/Germany, 1993 U.S. Availability: Summer 1995 (limited) Running Length: 1:59 MPAA Classification: R (Violence, sex, nudity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Campbell Scott, Isabella Rossellini, Hart Bochner, Ronald Nitschke, James Grant, Jeremy Sniden Director: John Schlesinger Producers: Norma Heyman, Wieland Schultz-Keil, and Chris Sievernich Screenplay: Ian McEwan based on his book Cinematography: Dietrich Lohmann Music: Gerald Gouriet U.S. Distributor: Miramax Films
Possibly the best craftsman of Berlin-based, post-WWII thrillers is novelist Len Deighton (THE IPCRESS FILE, BERLIN GAME, SPY HOOK), whose meticulously-researched, taught page-turners keep readers consistently interested and involved. Perhaps the makers of THE INNOCENT should have consulted Deighton before embarking on this project--a wandering, occasionally-obtuse, and often boring tale of passion, murder, and political maneuvering set in Berlin during the mid-50s.
The story revolves around British telecommunications engineer Leonard Markham (Campbell Scott), who is "on loan" to the Americans during his stay in occupied Germany. His immediate superior is an arrogant, regimented officer by the name of Bob Glass (Anthony Hopkins), who quotes regulations and warns against security infractions. Leonard's job in Berlin is to tap into Russian telephone lines and feed the coded messages to the decoders for interpretation. It's all top-secret, so when Leonard becomes involved with Maria (Isabella Rossellini), an "ordinary" German citizen, Glass' suspicions are aroused. After all, just about everyone in Berlin is spying for someone, and Maria's estranged husband (Ronald Nitschke) has some dubious contacts.
For a film that's on-screen for two hours, THE INNOCENT takes a lot of time going virtually nowhere. All the spying and counterspying is presented in the most uninteresting manner possible, the central love story between Leonard and Maria never ignites any sparks, and the murder comes across as a plot contrivance. Although the setting is perfect for delicious intrigue, the cliched script reduces everything to a remarkably banal level.
The members of a first-rate cast give less than top-notch performances. Anthony Hopkins, playing a stereotypical American, occasionally goes over-the-top with both acting and accent. Isabella Rossellini (who, during a CASABLANCA-like entrance, bears an uncanny resemblance to her mother, Ingrid Bergman) does a workmanlike job, and her romance with Campbell Scott couldn't be less convincing. These two absolutely don't belong together. It's like Ilsa and Victor Laszlo all over again, except this time there's no Rick.
What's most disappointing about THE INNOCENT is how little it manages to do with such a promising cast and premise. Problems start with the erratic, poorly-paced script (which probably could have used tightening up in another draft), but they don't stop there. By the time THE INNOCENT gets around to contrasting the freedom of today's post-wall Berlin with what things were once like, the impact is severely diluted. And the tearful reunion which marks the film's denouement means very little because we never really care for the characters involved. In fact, all things considered, there's not much in this picture worth caring about.
- James Berardinelli (jberardinell@delphi.com)
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