The Man Between

The Man Between is a 1953 British thriller film directed by Carol Reed and starring James Mason, Claire Bloom, Hildegard Knef and Geoffrey Toone.

• Director:Carol Reed
• Genre:Drama | Thriller
• Runtime:100 minutes

Cast

James Mason : Ivo Kern
Claire Bloom : Susanne Mallison
Hildegard Knef : Bettina Mallison (as Hildegarde Neff)
Geoffrey Toone : Martin Mallison
Aribert Wäscher : Halendar (as Aribert Waescher)

Ivo Kern (James Mason) is a former attorney who had once participated in Nazi atrocities, and is now selling his expertise to German communists to kidnap and transport certain West Germans to the eastern bloc. Although Kern desires to relocate to the West he is hampered by West German suspicions and his criminal past. Nevertheless, he agrees to a final kidnapping venture that fails, forcing his employer to take over and abduct Briton Susanne Mallison (Claire Bloom) by mistake. Kern had earlier feigned a romance with Mallison as a means to seize his kidnapping target.

The abduction of Mallison presents Kern with an opportunity to both return the unfortunate victim to the West and impress western authorities of his atonement. Despite Kern’s selfish and darkened facade, Mallison still falls in love with the defector. She tells him that she can see humanity deep inside the former attorney who had once studied to defend the innocent and the ‘rights of man.’ This glimpse also appears to a young East Berlin boy who assists Kern and Mallison in their attempt to escape, as he follows Kern everywhere and the boy is treated with kindness. Kern almost admits his affection for Mallison on one occasion but he directs the conversation back to his sordid past and the escape attempt.

Ultimately, as Kern and Mallison are only a few feet from the Berlin gate while hidden in the back of a truck, their escape goes awry. Kern distracts the border guards as he runs from the vehicle, shouting at Mallison to hurry into the West. As her truck crosses the neutral zone and she reaches back for Kern, he is gunned down by the guards, and in doing so he gives his life to save hers.Read more

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