0:36 . Tinket taylor spy 2:34. The bourne ultimatum 3:36. Three days of the condor 5:03. Confession of dangerous mind 7:36. From russia with love 8:46. Mission: Impossible -- Rounge nation 10:26. North by northwest 12:26. Argo 13:10. The lives of other 15:31. The third man
The problem is, the BBC TV series of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was head and shoulders above any of these. Alec Guiness as George Smiley. Brian Oosterbeek Nederland.
Agreed. I rank the film version at the top of this list and the TV series above it. Perhaps one of the greatest TV series ever made and yes better than all of these films.
The list: 1. The Third Man 2. The Lives of Others 3. Argo 4. North by Northwest 5. Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation 6. From Russia With Love 7. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind 8. Three Days of The Condor 9. The Bourne Ultimatum 10. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
I lived for two years in east Berlin in the 70's because my father was an Australian diplomat. I went to school in west Berlin. We crossed the border at check point Bravo twice a day to go to school. My best friends father was the deputy chief of counter intelligence for the British army in the Berlin area, a spy hunter. His opinion was that 'The spy who came in from the cold' best described his job.
Yikes!! I came close to getting blown up by an IRA bomb in a mail box in Piccadilly Circus, London, when I was a kid. I'm an American, was there on vacation with parents. Never been too nor near any Commie country.
Not even Mentioning “No Way Out” with Costner, Hackman and an astonishing performance by Will Patton is just about unforgivable. Definitely belongs high on the list.
Costner later said the biggest movie star he ever worked with was Sean Connery and the best actor he ever worked with was Gene Hackman. Hackman was particularly interested in the role because at that time he had played a lot of ‘every man’ and ‘salt of the earth types’ but had had little opportunity to play white collar types and wanted to prove he could excel at it, against type. And he certainly did.
One problem: The Third Man, my favorite film, IS NOT a spy movie. It's a suspense thriller - there is not one iota of espionage going on in this movie. Harry Lyme is a Black Marketeer, Holly is his friend trying to understand his supposed death, the Brit major is the local cop trying to catch Lyme. There are no spies!
The Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy you reference is the SECOND version. The original starring Sir Alec Guiness was released in 1979 & received a higher Rotten Tomatoes rating than the 2011 remake.
I’m 100% with you on that anyway I would put so many other movies before Argo a movie that I did found so boring I don’t know what’s the fuss with Ben Affleck man I don’t think he’s that good of a actor and his face as absolutely no expression he’s the kinda person that had is face filled up with concrete so he’s always look as stiff as a titanium bar lolllllllll
@@tomasbickel58 I think that limitation actually benefited the movie, because it forced the filmmakers to tell the story in a new way, making it extremely cryptic and confusing at times, but I feel it definitely improves on repeated viewings. Have not seen the miniseries, but want to, really enjoyed the book and preferred the way it dealt with the themes as compaired to the movie.
Yeah, TTSS (BBC) is peak BBC and the best spy movie. Not close really. BTW, this video perpetrates the notion that Smiley (Gary Oldman) is the head of MI6. He’s not working for them anymore.
The Lives of Others is SUCH a good film. I have it on DVD and I have watching it multiple times ( I rarely watch movies twice! ) A work of art. I really recommend it.
I concur wholeheartedly; one of my favourite films of all time, in either German or English (I speak very little German but I was still enthralled by it, even though it is in a language that is quite foreign to me).
Scrolled through a ton of comments to notice none of the following mentioned. Younger viewers, give these a try: The Russia House (1990) - Sean Connery The Fourth Protocol (1987) - Michael Caine The Deadly Affair (1967) - James Mason
Surely you can't put there Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy movie there without mentioning the EVEN BETTER BBC TV series of the same novel with Alec Guinness in one of his best performances ever. Folks, if you haven't seen it do yourself a favour & dig it up.
I agree with most of your choices for terrific spy movies, although not in the same order. Alec Guinness will always be George Smiley for me. I also think Sword of Gideon is far better than Spielberg's Munich. Lastly, I would throw in a little known movie called Telefon. Despite it starring Charles Bronson, it is actually a very good movie. It also stars Donald Pleasence and Lee Remick.
This video got me subscribed. The right choices on Bourne and Hitchcock and for Number One, my top British movie of all time. And thank you for mentioning the Ipcress File
I have an Honorable Mention - The MacKintosh Man - 1973 - starring Paul Newman, Ian Bannen, Dominique Sanda and James Mason. Highly underrated film by John Huston.
Oh yeah, that was the one where Paul Newman was pretending to be a Math genius to try to get Formulas out of Commie scientist???? yeah that was a pretty good movie.
@@aspenrebel That was Hitchcocks Torn Curtain... Mackintosh Man is Newman allowing himself to be imprisoned to break an escape gang....excellent car chase and break out after he is blown .. also Michael Hordern as a somewhat effeminate gang overseer
@@stevehogg2036 Wasn't it a film first then a BBC TV show? I'll have to check on that. Oh, I guess not, guess I was mistaken. Oh well. But TV show was great!!
Brilliant list, outstanding commentary, and witticisms. Your description of what makes for a spy movie is very understandable....is it ok to betray and deceive if it is for a greater good?
SOOOO glad somebody mentioned Hitchcock's "Notorious". Great suspense without needing chases or literal cliffhangers. Probably my favorite Hitchcock film (haven't seen Vertigo or Rear Window yet).
I have to say you went thru a load of movies, nearly all of which I've seen. Great listing! However, I enjoyed George Lazenby's portrayal of Bond. Regardless, you've ignited my interest in watching these all over again. haha Thanks!
The first shot (closeup) of fatigued Michael Caine (Harry Palmer) stumbling, running IS from The Ipcress File. But, yes, that was not a great editing job, finally, mentioning Funeral In Berlin and Billion Dollar Brain about 30 seconds later after talking "Ipcress" but showing more "Funeral In Berlin" scenes, for sure. Should have shown a quick glimpse of snowy Finland to represent Billion Dollar Brain, too; or the scene in the giant computer room where Donald Sutherland has his still-an-unknown cameo in Billion Dollar Brain ... and then segue into Eye of the Needle starring Sutherland .. but I am seriously digressing here. anyways. good catch. wish I'd seen this video sooner just noticed 4 years ago response.
And more recent , The Coldest Game (Polish: Ukryta gra) is a 2019 English-language Polish spy film starring Bill Pullman. This spy thriller is the last film produced by Piotr Woźniak-Starak, who died in an apparent boating accident shortly before the premiere.
Quite a great list. I was wondering though since espionage has been employed for literally millenia, can anyone suggest great films about spying in earlier centuries
Oh dear, total fail. You missed the film from which all spy films copy the plot & style, Fritz Lang's 1928 "Spions". It has a secret agent code named of course. A feme fatale double agent, who of course falls in love with him. And a wheelchair bound evil genius master spy plotting from his hidden base filled with his minions. The only thing missing is the white cat!
Your memory for the Grand Daddy of all spy films is not welcome here, apparently, but i'm glad you reminded me. Nice to get out of the vortex of cinematic fin-de-siecles such as Craig/'Bond,' or Cruise/'Impossible.'
Some really interesting choices by y'all: SpyWhoCameInFromTheCold, DayOfTheJackal ('73), EyeOfTheNeedle, LivesOfOthers, ..great perceptive choices re some of the ambiguity. 'TinkerTailor..' and 'SpyWhoCameIn..' are my favorite for realism. For "action thrills" subgenre the Craig/Bonds, Brosnan/Bond/TND/GE, BourneIdentity/Ultimatum, & MI/RogueNation.
'TGS' was, in short, a film-saga that was anti-Bond, anti-Bourne, and which attended to the 'interiority' of the actual world of spies: no car chases, no shoot'em-ups, none of that lily-gild stuff that the bulk of US audiences now seem to require, absolutely. It suffers from what I'll call, 'The Kubrick Lapse,' ie, a film so finely crafted that it will take twenty-years for folks to catch up to it, if at all.
Too much complaining in the comments. Way too much. Great list, I'm wholly satisfied that you mentioned so many other movies that didn't make the list. Now I have spares to watch!
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Smiley's People, Spy Games, 3 Days of the Condor, Bourne Identity, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Our Man in Havana, Eye of the Needle, Reilly Ace of Spies # 3 and 4.
M:I II was like a hot tub dialed way up. It was a little much on first impression, but wasn't half-bad once I got into it. But the first M:I film had a certain genius to it they'll never top if they don't try. Such economical action! You can count shots fired on one hand! Rogue Nation remains a high ranker though, so we can all understand the choice.
A most wanted man was better than most with P Seymore Hoffman. A Bridge of Spies had the most sympathetic Russian Spy. Eye of The Needle was the best WW2 film. Best Series would be the Bureau the French series, Then Berlin Station.
Ok, I can't disagree with the choices, but I think I NEED to mention a LeCarre treatment that I admit was originally a BBC mini series.....Smileys People. I swear there was more inaction than action, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Guiness, and I swear there were times I didn't take a breath for minutes. One of the most tense and intense viewing pleasures I've ever had! Also, thanks for not forgeting Harry Palmer.
From Russia with Love and Casino Royale is on my top 007 films list but Skyfall was a remake of Dark Knight slightly. Hitchcock was the master of spy films and enjoy the Mission Impossible films .
Mispronouncing Deighton as Deeton instead of Dayton is understandable but Meat Damon? Come on Max Headroom you you you cccccaaaannnnn do better than that!
i take a deep egotistical dignity that ive never viewd the bourne , the john wicks or the new mission impossible teen movies that are right up there with the fast and furious franchise
Right after "The 39 Steps", Alfred Hitchcock did "Secret Agent", which is (in my opinion), a better 'spy movie' than "Notorious".... If you aren't familiar with it, it's another great film to watch, and like '39 Steps', has a very 1930's-ish spy feel to it. Thanks......there were a few new ones on here for me. I'm going to watch "The Third Man" right now!! : )
I thought your list was pretty good, but for one glaring exception. You left out one of the best movies in any genre I have ever seen, Directed by Steven Spielberg, written (largely) by the Coen brothers and starring Tom Hanks. Where is "Bridge Of Spies"?
Definitely check out the chilling "Scorpio" (1973) with Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Paul Scofield. Oh, and while "The Third Man" is a great film it is not a spy movie.
I almost gave up on any salute to films older than 20 years until you chose From Russia With Love for the Bond film. It is the Bond movie that is more true to the original concept by Ian Fleming than later films. Those of us who have read all of Fleming's Bond books can see the movie From Russia With Love's atmosphere parallels the early 1960 tension of the Cold War. Sean Connery in From Russia With Love was the favorite of JFK, the ultimate Cold Warrior. All the movies since, beginning with Goldfinger, rely more on the carnival and bombast of the spectacle that Fleming never intended. Interestingly, Fleming died in 1963, after From Russia With Love premiered and before photography began on Goldfinger.
I kindly disagree that the Bourne movies had ANY semblance to the source material. The first movie was 50% close, and the next two movies went completely off the rails. I enjoyed the movies themselves but felt they had next to nothing to do with the paperback source. For one thing, book-Bourne didn't have the Internet.
I just wanted to see if The Ipcress File would be on the list. Great movie. I also can't help but laugh at the reaction to The Third Man and The Day of the Jackal. One does not really have a spy. The other is about planning an assassination. check and check. I guess I need to see Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy, again, as well as The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Very slow going the first time but that was decades ago. Also good to see Eye of the Needle was mentioned. Someone in comments reminded us of No Way Out. I saw it in the theatre and it was real good ... except for the double agent final twist ending ...? Costner at his best. Sean Young well cast. Gene Hackman doin more than just yelling. Will Patton was very memorable. tidbit: No Way Out is a remake of the noir gem The Big Clock with Ray Milland in the Costner role. Fond memories of watching Three Days of the Condor on cable; and maybe more so, Marathon Man. Gotta like videos that give (you) never seen, movie viewing options. Gotta find the German flick Lives of Others.
0:36 . Tinket taylor spy
2:34. The bourne ultimatum
3:36. Three days of the condor
5:03. Confession of dangerous mind
7:36. From russia with love
8:46. Mission: Impossible -- Rounge nation
10:26. North by northwest
12:26. Argo
13:10. The lives of other
15:31. The third man
@@nooruleman879 great list
The problem is, the BBC TV series of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was head and shoulders above any of these. Alec Guiness as George Smiley. Brian Oosterbeek Nederland.
Agreed!!
Agreed. I rank the film version at the top of this list and the TV series above it. Perhaps one of the greatest TV series ever made and yes better than all of these films.
Just what I was going to write.
The film has the Secret Service working in AM OPEN PLAN OFFICE!FFS!!
Absolutely. By far the best ever. And its sequel Smiley’s People.
The list:
1. The Third Man
2. The Lives of Others
3. Argo
4. North by Northwest
5. Mission Impossible - Rogue Nation
6. From Russia With Love
7. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
8. Three Days of The Condor
9. The Bourne Ultimatum
10. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Shantanu Patnaik Thank you! Finally..... After scrolling through hundreds of comments, I find this post
should have Bourne Identity
Next add - romeo akbar walter (akka) raw
Shantanu Patnaik thank you for the list
Thank You so much. Was a torture going through the entire video and even skipping it 10 seconds just to get to the point.
I lived for two years in east Berlin in the 70's because my father was an Australian diplomat. I went to school in west Berlin. We crossed the border at check point Bravo twice a day to go to school. My best friends father was the deputy chief of counter intelligence for the British army in the Berlin area, a spy hunter. His opinion was that 'The spy who came in from the cold' best described his job.
Andrew Holmes what is ur porous beim right the story??
Chick my canals to know my life style 😅🙋🏻♂️
Yikes!! I came close to getting blown up by an IRA bomb in a mail box in Piccadilly Circus, London, when I was a kid. I'm an American, was there on vacation with parents. Never been too nor near any Commie country.
You have lived through interesting times.
@@aspenrebel I saw the IRA Rotten Row Bombing in London 1982!
I imagine it became routine, but you really spent part of your childhood in a focal point of history. Fascinating
Not even Mentioning “No Way Out” with Costner, Hackman and an astonishing performance by Will Patton is just about unforgivable. Definitely belongs high on the list.
Completely agree!
Costner later said the biggest movie star he ever worked with was Sean Connery and the best actor he ever worked with was Gene Hackman. Hackman was particularly interested in the role because at that time he had played a lot of ‘every man’ and ‘salt of the earth types’ but had had little opportunity to play white collar types and wanted to prove he could excel at it, against type. And he certainly did.
No Way Out is indeed great. Costner and Hackman are both great in it.
“The lives of others” was a life altering masterpiece for me. It’s still with me.
One problem: The Third Man, my favorite film, IS NOT a spy movie. It's a suspense thriller - there is not one iota of espionage going on in this movie. Harry Lyme is a Black Marketeer, Holly is his friend trying to understand his supposed death, the Brit major is the local cop trying to catch Lyme. There are no spies!
Tinker Tailor at number 10 is a disgrace. Deserves to be much higher.
The Americans value car chases and explosions. They can't take real British acting! 🤣🤣
The Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy you reference is the SECOND version. The original starring Sir Alec Guiness was released in 1979 & received a higher Rotten Tomatoes rating than the 2011 remake.
How is “The Good Shepard” not on this list?!
TTSS with Alex Guinness from 1979 or 80 is the absolute best, so good,
Argo? You passed up The Day of the Jackal for Argo?
That movie is so good, and no one knows about it.
Argo sucked
I’m 100% with you on that anyway I would put so many other movies before Argo a movie that I did found so boring I don’t know what’s the fuss with Ben Affleck man I don’t think he’s that good of a actor and his face as absolutely no expression he’s the kinda person that had is face filled up with concrete so he’s always look as stiff as a titanium bar lolllllllll
15:14 The Day of the Jackal was considered best. Being with n° 1.
Jackal is great. But its a hit man tradecraft film. Not really a spy film. And Yes, I'm talking about the 1972 film. Not the Bruce Willis.
The Spy who Came in From the Cold deceived more than just a "spot."
The Spy who Came in From the Cold is the greatest of all spy films.
"deserved"
they're working on a reboot
The spy who came in from the covid
That would've been two from le Carré, though.
The BBC version of Tinker, Tailor with Sir Alec Guinness is the best even if it was made for TV.
Moreover: without the BBC series you don't get the Gary Oldman version. Condensing the story into 90 min .. just a bunch of people doing stuff.
I would argue that the bbc sequel - Smileys People is even better. Love them both.
@@tomasbickel58 I think that limitation actually benefited the movie, because it forced the filmmakers to tell the story in a new way, making it extremely cryptic and confusing at times, but I feel it definitely improves on repeated viewings. Have not seen the miniseries, but want to, really enjoyed the book and preferred the way it dealt with the themes as compaired to the movie.
@@gordtulk same thing.
Yeah, TTSS (BBC) is peak BBC and the best spy movie. Not close really. BTW, this video perpetrates the notion that Smiley (Gary Oldman) is the head of MI6. He’s not working for them anymore.
The Third Man isn't a spy film though....
the choices are good, but the narrator talks to fast...and quick- cut editing is nausiating.
No he doesn't mate🙁🙁🙁
And what does nausiating mean?
i find it really easy to follow and the pacing was great, you can pause and rewind as many time as you like you know?
Why the potty mouth, too? No need.
@@weerainey8395 he does
Yes yes yes! The Third Man is the best Spy movie of all time because it's one of the best films of all time. It is a true masterpiece of cinema.
It is going to be on PBS 13 NYC this coming Saturday May 14. Third Man. Best ever. Music also . Enjoy..
So happy "The Lives of Others" was on this list!!
Only good thing about these Cookie Cutter Videos
*Are the Comments correcting everything and giving proper recommendations*
The Lives of Others is SUCH a good film. I have it on DVD and I have watching it multiple times ( I rarely watch movies twice! ) A work of art. I really recommend it.
Yeah, it shows you just how decrepit those people's lives were. "Gray", depressing, suicidal, etc.
@ Original was filmed in German but there is an English language version that is well worth looking for.
I concur wholeheartedly; one of my favourite films of all time, in either German or English (I speak very little German but I was still enthralled by it, even though it is in a language that is quite foreign to me).
Scrolled through a ton of comments to notice none of the following mentioned. Younger viewers, give these a try:
The Russia House (1990) - Sean Connery
The Fourth Protocol (1987) - Michael Caine
The Deadly Affair (1967) - James Mason
From Russia with Love is my fave. Gadgets were minimal, realistic--& that fantastic railway car fight!
Surely you can't put there Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy movie there without mentioning the EVEN BETTER BBC TV series of the same novel with Alec Guinness in one of his best performances ever. Folks, if you haven't seen it do yourself a favour & dig it up.
I agree with most of your choices for terrific spy movies, although not in the same order. Alec Guinness will always be George Smiley for me. I also think Sword of Gideon is far better than Spielberg's Munich. Lastly, I would throw in a little known movie called Telefon. Despite it starring Charles Bronson, it is actually a very good movie. It also stars Donald Pleasence and Lee Remick.
Quit the Red Bull and coffee, man! I had to mute everything.
Too much talk. Way too much.
Much, much, much, much too much.
JT Ku And talk & music much too loud, blasting & disruptive.
100% agree!!
And that explain why he havent more subs that 30K
Yeah 16 minutes + for naming 10 films
The Good Shepherd doesn’t even get an honorable mention?
This video got me subscribed. The right choices on Bourne and Hitchcock and for Number One, my top British movie of all time. And thank you for mentioning the Ipcress File
Need to add The Counterfeit Traitor….. Fantastic film!
The Lives of Others is the best one on this list
Three Days of the Condor. Forgot about this great movie
no they didn't - came in at number 8
pay attention dude
The Third Man is actually a Crime Story and has nothing to do with Spies!
It's also one of the best films ever made.
you're about right, but as it is start of Cold War set perhaps can just make it in as political espionage. Bloody great film anyways
Right, it's post war crime in Vienna. Great great pic.
I have an Honorable Mention - The MacKintosh Man - 1973 - starring Paul Newman, Ian Bannen, Dominique Sanda and James Mason. Highly underrated film by John Huston.
Oh yeah, that was the one where Paul Newman was pretending to be a Math genius to try to get Formulas out of Commie scientist???? yeah that was a pretty good movie.
@@aspenrebel That was Hitchcocks Torn Curtain... Mackintosh Man is Newman allowing himself to be imprisoned to break an escape gang....excellent car chase and break out after he is blown .. also Michael Hordern as a somewhat effeminate gang overseer
The Alec Guinness Tinker Tailor was WAY better!
But its not a film, it was BBC tv serial
I didn't go see the film. It could not have been better.
@@stevehogg2036 Wasn't it a film first then a BBC TV show? I'll have to check on that. Oh, I guess not, guess I was mistaken. Oh well. But TV show was great!!
These people are about 16... In dog years.
WAY,WAY better!!
Well done for choosing From Russia with Love - best Bond film with 2 sensational villains, Rosa Klebb and Red Grant.
I recommend "The Good Shepherd" in this list. I think it is better than Argo.
Third Man a noir classic, not exactly a spy flick.
"The Third Man" is post-WWII with Harry Lime as a Black Market opportunist, no spies.
Brilliant list, outstanding commentary, and witticisms. Your description of what makes for a spy movie is very understandable....is it ok to betray and deceive if it is for a greater good?
Salt is a good spy movie..
Glad to see that my favorite "eye of the needle" with Donald Sutherland was mentioned.
SOOOO glad somebody mentioned Hitchcock's "Notorious". Great suspense without needing chases or literal cliffhangers. Probably my favorite Hitchcock film (haven't seen Vertigo or Rear Window yet).
I have to say you went thru a load of movies, nearly all of which I've seen. Great listing! However, I enjoyed George Lazenby's portrayal of Bond. Regardless, you've ignited my interest in watching these all over again. haha Thanks!
What about The Spy Who Came in From the Cold? Richard Burton and Claire Bloom.
that should be number one
14:20 those clips are from Funeral in Berlin, not Ipcress File
Good catch there!
The first shot (closeup) of fatigued Michael Caine (Harry Palmer) stumbling, running IS from The Ipcress File. But, yes, that was not a great editing job, finally, mentioning Funeral In Berlin and Billion Dollar Brain about 30 seconds later after talking "Ipcress" but showing more "Funeral In Berlin" scenes, for sure. Should have shown a quick glimpse of snowy Finland to represent Billion Dollar Brain, too; or the scene in the giant computer room where Donald Sutherland has his still-an-unknown cameo in Billion Dollar Brain ... and then segue into Eye of the Needle starring Sutherland .. but I am seriously digressing here.
anyways. good catch. wish I'd seen this video sooner just noticed 4 years ago response.
All those fast edits! Nauseating!
A list in the description would have helped.
And more recent , The Coldest Game (Polish: Ukryta gra) is a 2019 English-language Polish spy film starring Bill Pullman. This spy thriller is the last film produced by Piotr Woźniak-Starak, who died in an apparent boating accident shortly before the premiere.
Tarantino has been quoted as saying the "The Quiller Memorandum "is his favourite spy movie, starring George Segal.
that one is available on TH-cam, I watched it recently
Your number 1 pick The Third Man is actually not a spy film but about the post-war black market in Vienna...
Quite a great list. I was wondering though since espionage has been employed for literally millenia, can anyone suggest great films about spying in earlier centuries
Oh dear, total fail.
You missed the film from which all spy films copy the plot & style, Fritz Lang's 1928 "Spions".
It has a secret agent code named of course.
A feme fatale double agent, who of course falls in love with him.
And a wheelchair bound evil genius master spy plotting from his hidden base filled with his minions. The only thing missing is the white cat!
Your memory for the Grand Daddy of all spy films is not welcome here, apparently, but i'm glad you reminded me. Nice to get out of the vortex of cinematic fin-de-siecles such as Craig/'Bond,' or Cruise/'Impossible.'
Where the hell is "The Good Shepherd"?
Some really interesting choices by y'all:
SpyWhoCameInFromTheCold, DayOfTheJackal ('73), EyeOfTheNeedle, LivesOfOthers, ..great perceptive choices re some of the ambiguity.
'TinkerTailor..' and 'SpyWhoCameIn..' are my favorite for realism.
For "action thrills" subgenre the Craig/Bonds, Brosnan/Bond/TND/GE, BourneIdentity/Ultimatum, & MI/RogueNation.
'TGS' was, in short, a film-saga that was anti-Bond, anti-Bourne, and which attended to the 'interiority' of the actual world of spies: no car chases, no shoot'em-ups, none of that lily-gild stuff that the bulk of US audiences now seem to require, absolutely. It suffers from what I'll call, 'The Kubrick Lapse,' ie, a film so finely crafted that it will take twenty-years for folks to catch up to it, if at all.
Good one! I Like Tinker.. Only a few remembers that Ian Fleming was a spy himself, and milked it...
I am *VERY* disappointed that True Lies is not on this list. That will forever be my favorite spy film.
Alec Guiness "Tinker, Tailor..." and Smiley's People"--combined No. !
Too much complaining in the comments. Way too much. Great list, I'm wholly satisfied that you mentioned so many other movies that didn't make the list. Now I have spares to watch!
Where on earth is Coppola's 'The conversation' ?
Technically not political spying; private surveillance really, but definitely should have had a mention...
Killed it Gamma! Ya there was a lot of talking but we were spared the arguing to get to the top 10? (or more)
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Smiley's People, Spy Games, 3 Days of the Condor, Bourne Identity, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Our Man in Havana, Eye of the Needle, Reilly Ace of Spies # 3 and 4.
M:I II was like a hot tub dialed way up. It was a little much on first impression, but wasn't half-bad once I got into it.
But the first M:I film had a certain genius to it they'll never top if they don't try. Such economical action! You can count shots fired on one hand!
Rogue Nation remains a high ranker though, so we can all understand the choice.
No mention of Body of lies, or did I just miss it?
*The Good Sheppard*
Best spy movie ever.
The best murder scenes of spy wetwork
@@tharindubandara7722 Interesting but
most accurate or most dramatic?
@@timbuktu8069 I think its not dramatic. The whole movie portrait the real deal without any superhuman actions. Most accurate it is.....
Gorky Park 1983 , England Made me 1973 , Our Man in Havana 1959
loved Gorky Park, but it was more of a whodunit
Gorky Park felt like a spy movie but actually a crime, murder, smuggling movie.
I'm a big fan of "Charade," which is about as close as you're gonna get to a Hitchcock film directed by someone else (Stanley Donen).
The Third Man a spy story? It was about post war black marketeering. At least The Ipcress File got a mention.
A most wanted man was better than most with P Seymore Hoffman. A Bridge of Spies had the most sympathetic Russian Spy. Eye of The Needle was the best WW2 film.
Best Series would be the Bureau the French series, Then Berlin Station.
IMO the original PBS version of "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," with Alec Guinness, is better than the Gary Oldman version.
BBC TV series, played on PBS channels here in USA. Well yeah, Alec Guinness vs Gary Oldman, no contest there.
I concur
Ok, I can't disagree with the choices, but I think I NEED to mention a LeCarre treatment that I admit was originally a BBC mini series.....Smileys People. I swear there was more inaction than action, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Guiness, and I swear there were times I didn't take a breath for minutes. One of the most tense and intense viewing pleasures I've ever had!
Also, thanks for not forgeting Harry Palmer.
I have the set, also Tinker Tailor BBC series. I have to watch them every few years.
Jason Bourne?
Ok. Excellent choices. Some I would change. Others you missed. But all in all lovely!
Can you PLEASE stop talking like you have doubled timed the audio track..? NO NEED..!
From Russia with Love and Casino Royale is on my top 007 films list but Skyfall was a remake of Dark Knight slightly. Hitchcock was the master of spy films and enjoy the Mission Impossible films .
Skyfall and SPECTRE were two of the shittiest Bond movies ever made.
The Quiller Memorandum is my pick
Darling, where is "Eye of The needle" and all Smiley series : Tinker, Taylor, soldier,spy and Smiley's People?
Mispronouncing Deighton as Deeton instead of Dayton is understandable but Meat Damon? Come on Max Headroom you you you cccccaaaannnnn do better than that!
The pronunciation of John Buchan was also interesting - I always thought it's Buck (as in Buck Rogers) and "n" (as in Salt'n'Pepper).
@@jamesgrainger-smith3690
Correct.
OK not a film but the UK's 5 episodes tv series Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy [1979] 4 hours long
And also SMILEY'S PEOPLE
Damn right! (Smiley People too). I felt afterwards that the new film was very "rushed" if you know what I mean! Alec Guinness'es presence too.
@@upresins also a movie search it on Google
Original edition aired on BBC in UK was 7 episodes. Contained scenes that help improve plot understanding. Recommended and available on TH-cam.
@@fire_punch_1 Smiley's People has never been made into a film. Original (and only) was a BBC television series.
i hate the list Perry the Platypus isn’t here
i take a deep egotistical dignity that ive never viewd the bourne , the john wicks or the new mission impossible teen movies that are right up there with the fast and furious franchise
Bond is never my type of spy movies.
Right after "The 39 Steps", Alfred Hitchcock did "Secret Agent", which is (in my opinion), a better 'spy movie' than "Notorious".... If you aren't familiar with it, it's another great film to watch, and like '39 Steps', has a very 1930's-ish spy feel to it. Thanks......there were a few new ones on here for me. I'm going to watch "The Third Man" right now!! : )
Zero dark thirty was so close it got investigated
You missed "Most Wanted Man" with Philip Seymore Hoffman
I thought your list was pretty good, but for one glaring exception. You left out one of the best movies in any genre I have ever seen, Directed by Steven Spielberg, written (largely) by the Coen brothers and starring Tom Hanks. Where is "Bridge Of Spies"?
Sadly the last film should be 1st
You nailed it with #1.
Benedict Cumberbatch
This is an awesome list of excellent movies.
Definitely check out the chilling "Scorpio" (1973) with Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Paul Scofield.
Oh, and while "The Third Man" is a great film it is not a spy movie.
"THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD"
No mention of The Man with One Red Shoe... for shame. The Good Shepherd? Breach? Traitor? Ugh... you guys are killing me.
I almost gave up on any salute to films older than 20 years until you chose From Russia With Love for the Bond film. It is the Bond movie that is more true to the original concept by Ian Fleming than later films. Those of us who have read all of Fleming's Bond books can see the movie From Russia With Love's atmosphere parallels the early 1960 tension of the Cold War. Sean Connery in From Russia With Love was the favorite of JFK, the ultimate Cold Warrior.
All the movies since, beginning with Goldfinger, rely more on the carnival and bombast of the spectacle that Fleming never intended. Interestingly, Fleming died in 1963, after From Russia With Love premiered and before photography began on Goldfinger.
The Lives of Others, an extraordinary film and old fashion suspense. Academy Awards for Best Foreign film.
While they're not the absolute best films ever, Bond owns the spy genre. All spy films are measured against Bond.
The spy who came from the cold was a great movie
What about Bridge of Spies (2015), Syriana (2005), The Good Shepherd (2006), Body of Lies (2008), No Way Out (1987)?
I kindly disagree that the Bourne movies had ANY semblance to the source material. The first movie was 50% close, and the next two movies went completely off the rails. I enjoyed the movies themselves but felt they had next to nothing to do with the paperback source. For one thing, book-Bourne didn't have the Internet.
I just wanted to see if The Ipcress File would be on the list. Great movie.
I also can't help but laugh at the reaction to The Third Man and The Day of the Jackal. One does not really have a spy. The other is about planning an assassination. check and check.
I guess I need to see Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy, again, as well as The Spy Who Came in from the Cold. Very slow going the first time but that was decades ago.
Also good to see Eye of the Needle was mentioned.
Someone in comments reminded us of No Way Out. I saw it in the theatre and it was real good ... except for the double agent final twist ending ...? Costner at his best. Sean Young well cast. Gene Hackman doin more than just yelling. Will Patton was very memorable. tidbit: No Way Out is a remake of the noir gem The Big Clock with Ray Milland in the Costner role.
Fond memories of watching Three Days of the Condor on cable; and maybe more so, Marathon Man.
Gotta like videos that give (you) never seen, movie viewing options. Gotta find the German flick Lives of Others.
Jeeezz... Does that guy ever shut up!!!
What happened to "The spy who knew too little"?
For ne, my favourite spy movie is "salt" with angelina jolie
I thought Spy Game was amazing.