During the 1956 Hungarian uprising, an American mercenary is hired to smuggle a Hungarian resistance leader out of Soviet-occupied Budapest.During the 1956 Hungarian uprising, an American mercenary is hired to smuggle a Hungarian resistance leader out of Soviet-occupied Budapest.During the 1956 Hungarian uprising, an American mercenary is hired to smuggle a Hungarian resistance leader out of Soviet-occupied Budapest.
- Language Professor
- (as Georg Köváry)
- Directors
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaRichard Widmark's wife, Jean Hazlewood, wrote the screenplay. It was her only screenwriting credit.
- GoofsAlthough the film is set in 1956 Hungary. The opening title of the movie is The Austrian-Hungarian Border 1960.
- Quotes
Jancsi: That would be convenient wouldn't it? You've made arrangements, certain plans to deliver me from my enemies into the hands of Herr Scheffler. You overlooked one thing only - I don't choose to leave my country.
Michael Reynolds: Sir, you don't have a choice, your time is up.
Jancsi: If that is so, Mr Reynolds, I'll die here.
Michael Reynolds: Why do you have to die? What for? I don't believe in it. Look, I came here to save your neck and I'm going to do it, even if you don't want it saved.
Jancsi: Whatever I do with my life is my own business. No one else's.
Michael Reynolds: Oh, you don't understand. In an few days you won't have a life.
The Count: We know our position better than you do.
Michael Reynolds: No, you don't! Scheffler is a pipeline. If he says I've got two days to get you out, you've got two days. Now, you can wait here like sitting ducks or you can do something. But there's a way out. If you're reasonable, you'll take it.
Jancsi: There's no profit for you, don't bother about that.
Michael Reynolds: Alright, I'm being paid. I know you'd like it better if I was some great humanitarian who believed in your cause. Well, I don't even know what your cause is.
The Count: That shouldn't surprise us.
Michael Reynolds: Well, who does outside this room? You could yell your heads off, nobody'd hear you. They aren't listening. They're all like me, I promise you; they couldn't care less. Causes are outmoded. Everybody's learned to live by compromise. Why can't you?
Jancsi: There isn't any compromise. To compromise is to doubt your own convictions. If they're worth having, they're unshakeable.
Michael Reynolds: Convictions are fine, if you live.
Jancsi: Mr. Reynolds, if I can live one day to save one person, that's enough.
Michael Reynolds: But you can do more than that on the outside. Unless you're determined to die a a martyr. And a crackpot!
If the viewer doesn't expect constant clarity and a direct Indiana Jones narrative, this film is fascinating for it's location shooting, evoking a more direct sense of hopelessness than even The Spy Who Came in From The Cold, and it's all highlighted by a persuasive music score (one of the first powerful backups by John Williams), as well as the adventurous attempts to escape the constant threat of permanent imprisonment--the sympathetic hero combines with a growing sense of suspense can add up to an entertaining two hours: I found the atmospherics even more fascinating that the labyrinthine plot.
- museumofdave
- Sep 3, 2022
- Permalink
- How long is The Secret Ways?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 52 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1