Why John Le Carre's The Spy Who Came In From The Cold
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Hardie’s words highlights that perhaps what seemed like the end, planted seeds of beginning. John Le Carre’s ‘The Spy Who Came in From the Cold’ and Stanley Kubrick’s ‘Dr Strangelove’ demonstrated this shift as a zeitgeist of the current dangers that were philosophised, politicised and what fostered religious and scientific meaning.
To all the rationalists that ask, “How?” Well… let me show you.
The Spy novel in 1963 intrigued, shocked and alarmed thousands of its readers. Why, because this was a story that tackled the common idea of good versus bad and the divide between East and West political ideologies. Throughout the story, we journey into the secret espionage life as a distant observer of Leamas’ espionage matters.
“Then what do…show more content… In this same regard, Dr Strangelove Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Start loving the Bomb” a year later in 1964, enabled its viewers to laugh through a comedic lens in which the seriousness of the cold war was magnified.
[Video displaying General Ripper’s explanation for ‘Precious Bodily Fluids’]
Here, we look up at General of the US Air Force, Jack D. Ripper’s immense authority through a low angle shot, and see the ridiculousness that this man was apparently rational enough to be in charge of bombs. The close up shots of Ripper in chiaroscuro enable us to see his facial expression. The beads of sweat trickling down, his lack of eye contact demonstrates that he is focused on something else, and that he is preoccupied with the dangers that are outside.
There is constant conflict towards what Kubrick shows and what he intends, his explicitness, unlike Le Carre, is demonstrated in his satire.
[Video displaying the declaration of the ‘doomsday device’ during phone…show more content… ….As he fell, Leamas glaring round him saw a small car smashed between great lorries, and the children waving cheerfully through the window.”
Leamas is reminded this time at his death the clash between two ideologies, the opposing powers of humanity, and the coldness of indifference.
In the characterisation of Liz Gold she is also representative of qualities of humanity. For Liz, she was loving and compassionate, yet vulnerable and naïve.
For Leamas the only way was through death. It was not by surprise, nor by mistake, but because he was human, it was inevitable. And this was the mortality that caused his death.
Just like the Spy, Kubrick presents the incapability of man. The main characters were morally, physically and intellectually incompetent.
In the film, there are four instances machines of communication are either inadequate or used for destructive purpose.
Take here, for instance
Exhibit A. The misuse of radio codes by Ripper
Exhibit B. That in times of a bomb threat, phone conversations are first priority
Exhibit C. The use of neutral machines to prevent destruction
And finally, Exhibit D Mandrake attempts to call the President about the recall code but is unable because he is a dime