The Riddle of the
Sands
Director: Tony Maylam
Year: 1979
Rating: 6.5
This is based on one of the first spy novels of the 20th century - written
in 1903 by Erskine Childers and a big hit at the time. The film plot follows
that of the book very closely. It perhaps even set the formula of amateurs
accidentally getting involved in matters of espionage - that John Buchan
did with his Richard Hannay character, Eric Ambler in a few of his books
and Alfred Hitchcock in many of his early films. In this one an Englishman
is boating in the Baltic where he comes to suspect that the Germans are up
to something. He mails an Oxford friend who works for the Foreign Office
to come join him. He does and the two come across a plan to invade England
in the north where they have no defenses. It stars Simon MacCorkindale, Michael
York and Jenny Agutter. York and Agutter had of course starred together in
Logan's Run some three years previously. Enjoyable film that turns a bit
tense in the final 20 minutes with a few bits of humor thrown in regarding
York being basically an upper class twit initially who thought he was being
invited to a yachting party only to find a boat with sails on it. There is
a German version of the film from 1987 that would be interesting to see.