Enigma (1983 film)
| Enigma | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jeannot Szwarc |
| Produced by |
Ben Arbeid André Pergament Peter Shaw |
| Written by | John Briley |
| Based on | The Enigma by Michael Barak |
| Starring |
Martin Sheen Sam Neill Brigitte Fossey |
| Music by |
Douglas Gamley Marc Wilkinson |
| Cinematography | Jean-Louis Picavet |
| Editing by |
Peter Culverwell Peter Weatherley |
| Distributed by | Columbia-EMI-Warner (UK) |
| Release dates | 1983 |
| Running time | 122 minutes |
| Language | English |
Enigma is a 1983 British-American drama film directed by Jeannot Szwarc and starring Martin Sheen, Sam Neill, Brigitte Fossey, and Kevin McNally. Based on Michael Barak's novel The Enigma, the film centers around a CIA agent that tries to infiltrate Soviet intelligence in order to stop a murderous plot.
Plot
Alex Holbeck (Martin Sheen) is recruited as a CIA agent. He is sent to East Berlin on a mission to steal an Enigma code scrambler. This is part of an attempt to stop the Russian assassination of five Soviet dissidents which is planned for Christmas Day. What Alex doesn't know is that the CIA already has a code scrambler. By stealing the scrambler in Berlin, they are trying to convince the Russians that they don't have it.
On arrival in Berlin, Alex finds that the KGB knows he is there. Alex must use numerous disguises and escape from a number of capture attempts. He seeks shelter with his former lover, Karen (Brigitte Fossey) before moving on as this is too dangerous for her. Karen and a number of Alex's other old friends are taken and assaulted by the police in an attempt to gain information about Alex's whereabouts. As he gets more desperate, Alex enlists Karen's help again: she seduces Dimitri Vasilikov (Sam Neill), the KGB man in charge of the hunt for Alex, in order to obtain information. In the end Dimitri catches Alex and Karen and finds the scrambler hidden in an exhibition artifact. As he is in love with Karen, he lets them go, however, keeping the scrambler which was in fact not needed. On Christmas Day the assassination attempt is successfully thwarted.
Cast
- Martin Sheen as Alex Holbeck
- Brigitte Fossey as Karen Reinhardt
- Sam Neill as Dimitri Vasilikov
- Derek Jacobi as Kurt Limmer, East German
- Michael Lonsdale as Bodley
- Frank Finlay as Canarsky
- Warren Clarke as Konstantin
- Michael Williams as Hirsch, Limmer's Assistant
- David Baxt as Melton
- Kevin McNally as Bruno, CIA
- Michel Auclair as Doctor
External links
- Enigma (1983) at the Internet Movie Database
- Review of Enigma by Janet Maslin, New York Times, 28 January 1983
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