USA, 1966
Another dark Cold War-era paranoia picture from the director of The Manchurian Candidate, again focussing on singular identity in a world where no-one quite knows who is who. The cinematography by James Wong Howe is absolutely superb, especially the camera attached to the actor to give a sort of "floating head" effect, and the masterly use (and non-use) of music - the opening sequence of a man being followed is conducted entirely without music, or dialogue, with the floating head camera the only overtly "expressive" aspect. Here it is, with opening titles by the master, Saul Bass:
There is something in it too about image and self-image, about the relationship between identity and image, between inside and outside, surface and depth, all wrapped up in a hair-raising, skin-tingling air of suspicion and vaguely-defined menace.
This is a fantastic film, certainly one of the best I've seen for a long time.
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