Take true events from the Second World War and spin them out of their effects-heavy popcorn spy cinema, staged by an influential Bond director who casts a Bond girl and a popular Bond villain in leading roles: “Spy between two fronts” is done ‘, the tale of the spy Eddie Chapman, reimagined for entertainment cinema, who played a double game between England and Nazi Germany.
For a long time, the British agent actioner was only available in German home theaters in an abridged version that was originally created for the US market. An edition with the cut scenes was published for the first time in 2016, but it has long since been sold out. Interested film fans can ignore them anyway thanks to a new edition: From July 22nd, 2022, “Spion between two fronts” will finally be available again for home cinema – unabridged Blu-ray in a limited media book.
» “Spy between two fronts” Mediabook at Amazon*
The media book includes “Spy Between Two Fronts” in the long version on both Blu-ray and DVD, and there is also a 16-page booklet for the film. It is on both discs with completely restored picture and sound.
1940: The English safecracker Eddie Chapman (Christopher Plummer) is hired by the German secret service. While General von Grünen (Yul Brynner) gratefully accepts the additional personnel, Colonel Steinhäger (Gert Fröbe) is suspicious. When Eddie finally receives the order to blow up the British Vickers aircraft works, he promptly contacts the British secret service and negotiates a well-paid job as a spy in the service of his majesty. This is how a tricky and successful career begins between two fronts. Until Eddie’s affair with Countess Lindström (Romy Schneider) becomes fatal…
“Spy between two fronts” was directed by Terence Young, who previously wrote the three Bond adventures “007 hunts Dr. No”, “Greetings from Moscow” and “Teuerball”.. From the latter shoot he also knew Claudine Auger, who played the central Bond girl in it and who appears in “Spy Between Two Fronts” as a member of the French resistance. With “Goldfinger” bully Gert Fröbe, “The Ten Commandments” mime Yul Brynner and the German-French actor Romy Schneider, Young also brought three other internationally renowned draft horses on board.
It didn’t help much – “Spy between two fronts” was denied the hit or classic status of Young’s Bond films, so that today it is more of a genre insider tip. After all, there are two interesting anecdotes about the making of the film, which deals freely with the facts surrounding the real Eddie Chapman: Chapman was offered a role as a technical consultant, but had to turn it down because a travel ban was imposed on him. And: One of the locations is the Romainville Forts, where Chapman was briefly imprisoned in real life.
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