The Iron Curtain

1948

Biography / Crime / History / Thriller

1
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Spilled 59% · 50 ratings
IMDb Rating 6.3/10 10 1333 1.3K

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Plot summary

The Iron Curtain is based on the actual 1945 case of Soviet cipher clerk Igor Gouzenko, (Dana Andrews), who, after careful training, was assigned to the U.S.S.R. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada in the midst of World War II. Eventually, Gouzenko defected with 109 pages of material implicating several high level Canadian officials, outlined the steps taken to secure information about the the details of the nuclear bomb via numerous sleeper cells established throughout North America. The scandal that resulted when details of this case were publicized by American columnist Drew Pearson in early 1946 involved Canada, Britain and the United States.

Top cast

John Ridgely as RCMP Officer Murphy
Peter Whitney as Cipher Lt. Vinikov
Brick Sullivan as Bailiff with Hollis
Christopher Olsen as Andrei Gouzenko
720p.BLU
796.92 MB
1280*934
English 2.0
Approved
23.976 fps
1 hr 26 min
Seeds 1

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by CinemaSerf 6 / 10

Dana Andrews is Igor Gouzenko, posted to the

Dana Andrews is Igor Gouzenko, posted to the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa as a cypher clerk. He has no difficulty with his orders to keep himself to himself and to be polite but distant from his Canadian hosts. This becomes more problematic when he is joined by his wife Anna (Gene Tierney) who has more difficulty with the isolation their existence brings; particularly when they have a son so shorty after the end of the War, he decides that the grand design being proposed by his superiors is not for him, or his family, so decides to amass a collection of crucial documents from his legation and defect - illuminating a complex network of secret Soviet activities that penetrate to the heart of the Canadian military and political systems. His problem is - who is going to believe him; and can he ensure everyone's safety while he tries to persuade the authorities that he is for real. Based on true events, it's quite a poignant reminder of just how pivotal Canada was during and immediately after the war in terms of it's own significant scientific input and as an intermediary between the USA and the UK. Dana Andrews deals with his character's crisis of conscience quite well, and Tierney brings a sort of innocence to the proceedings that motivates his decision. I found the G-man style narration from Charles Tannen a bit over the top, and the dialogue and generally lacklustre direction left too much of the peril of the scenario to our imagination. Still, it's quite enthralling at times and the tightly knit cast keep it interesting for 90 minutes.
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Reviewed by barryrd 7 / 10

Canadian Espionage Story Brought to the Screen

In reviewing this movie, I have to admit my personal bias as a Canadian living in Ottawa where the movie was shot. I had seen it many years ago and liked it so I was excited when it was shown on TCM on Easter eve. I had forgotten many of the scenes, although I know the story well. I appreciated the crisp cutaway shots of Ottawa with Gothic public buildings and brick houses shown against the stark winter backgrounds. I also liked the way the movie was shot in darkness and shadows evoking the Cold War atmosphere. Director Wm. Wellman got the details correct with his script and the visual references to Ottawa landmarks. The Justice Building is the actual Confederation Building still used by the Dept.of Justice. The railway shown running along the Rideau Canal is no longer there but that was the location used by trains in and out of Union Station in downtown Ottawa. The actual apartment where Gouzenko lived is shown. It still stands along with the park across the street where there is signage indicating the historical significance of the site nearby. We also see Somerset St. with a streetcar passing the building where he resided. The Parliament Buildings, the Château Laurier and the National Research Council are all shown and all were pivotal locations for the story. There is a reference to the child of Igor and Anna Gouzenko born at St. Vincent's Hospital, which still stands in the neighbourhood where Gouzenko lived. I like the documentary style also used effectively in other films from that era, such as The House on 92nd Street, Naked City and the Wrong Man. The film noir look is typical of the era and suits the espionage story. Where the movie falls short, however, is in the characters of Igor and Anna Gouzenko as performed by Dana Andrews and Jean Tierney. I can certainly respect the choice of two accomplished actors for the roles; however, these Hollywood icons are a stretch for the Russian couple in the story, especially for a movie that pays such close attention to other details. Nevertheless, I can see that two acting stars would attract attention to the movie and the story. For example, a Cold War museum outside Ottawa, built as a bunker for government leaders in the 1950's, features photos from the movie to highlight the story. As someone with a passion for Canadian history and movies, I have great affection for The Iron Curtain. I was very grateful for TCM bringing this little known movie to its viewers.

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