The Man Between

This is a great love story about a young girl named Susanne Mallison, (Claire Bloom) who visits her brother in Berlin, Germany after WW II and after a brief period of time, Susanne seems to think that her sister-in-law is having an affair with another man. It turns out that this other man is Ivo Kern, (James Mason) who had some past relationships with her. Susanne begins to become interested in Ivo and keeps asking him plenty of questions and he finally reveals a deep dark secret about his relationship. Susanne begins to fall in love with Ivo and a powerful love affair starts off. There is plenty of action between East and West Germany and people are killed trying to cross the boundary lines. James Mason and Claire Bloom both gave outstanding performances and went on to make many great films. Unfortunately, James Mason was not very appreciated by the American public and never received an Academy Award for his many years of picture making. Sad

I wasn't sure if I'd like this film or not. Its British and it stars James Mason and Claire Bloom. So far so good, but its a "spy" drama which I sometimes find tedious. What a surprise! Beautifully filmed amid the bombed out rubble of post war Berlin, Mason and Bloom really shine here. This was an amazing pairing of two excellent actors. Mr Mason, as always, gives an first rate performance. What a pleasure to see him on ice skates. Bloom is lovely as the Englishwoman visiting her brother in Germany and drawn into a tense cat and mouse game where no one can be fully trusted. Definitely a must see for Mason fans but I think good for anyone who enjoys top-notch drama well acted and directed.

Carol Reed's very atmosperhic film shot in Berlin right after the war when the city was partitioned into sectors, about a young woman from England who visits her brother, an officer in the British sector, and his German wife, and gets involved in an intricate plot and a doomed romance, that takes the viewer through marvelously photographed and acted scenes, with James Mason at his finest, and an impressive cast of characters and settings. Can't say enough about the various settings in which the action occurs, the boy with great command of his bicycle on the icy streets, a long scene at an ice skating rink, and as the action builds along with the finale of an opera, and a kidnapping scene with a snow covered Cadillac tailing the innocent young woman down rubble strewned streets, Reed strung together a visually impressive and dark film that reveals a heartfelt tragedy.

Carol Reed's lesser-known "sequel" to his "The Third Man" is a classic retrospective on the divided city of Berlin in the early days of the Cold War. It is a sequel in atmosphere not story, and is less gimmicky and more human than the film from Vienna. But the same fear and betrayal are palpable in the air, as Ivo Kerr, a shop-soiled but decent dealer with both sides is compelled by his fondness for a naive English school teacher to pass through the Brandenburg Gate "just one more time." The ending, as expected, is not happy, but that final image in the snow will never be forgotten.

James Mason gives a tour-de-force performance as a tired clerk who knows not who to trust. Hildegrade Knef is magnificent in a complex supporting role. Carol Reed has directed some great movies and this is among his best. The ending sequence is so poignant, it always brings tears to the eyes.

Vintage Reed with all the elements from his films of the period. The innocent (Bloom) whose view needs to be muddied. The world weary, complex hero/villain. The confusion and ambiguities veering between love and hate, trust and betrayal, weakness and strength. Humans pulled from their comfortable lives and twisted by circumstance. The worn surroundings of war torn Berlin an extra character in the plot. All this in typical stark angled Reed view, with an atmospheric signature tune used noticeably towards the end, and a scene sequence mirroring the ambiguities of the characters. Whilst the film doesn't flow as fluently and seamlessly as The Third Man, Mason and Bloom create eminently watchable if not entirely rounded characters.