Alexander Eberlin, a successful businessman and a Cold War British intelligence operative (double agent) for the British Secret Service, has a problem. His superiors have ordered him to find and assassinate a KGB agent named Krasnevin, a seasoned KGB agent living a seemingly ordinary life in Britain. Krasnevin's past as a cold-blooded killer comes to haunt him as a series of British agents, all working on the same sensitive file, are murdered. Krasnevin, feeling burnt out and yearning for a return to Russia, is forced to play his part as Eberlin, adding to the mounting pressure.
With the file's previous handlers dead, the British Secret Service, suspicious of Eberlin's constant presence, assigns him a new mission: to find and kill the Soviet assassin, Krasnevin, who is believed to be in West Berlin. Assigned to work with Gatiss, an agent who distrusts Eberlin and harbors suspicions of his true allegiance, Krasnevin faces a delicate balancing act. He must navigate this tense partnership, using his years of experience to protect himself while trying to understand the true extent of the British suspicions. Caroline Hetherington, a beautiful British socialite with a penchant for photography, enters the scene. Her frequent appearances in Krasnevin's life, and her seemingly genuine interest in him, fuel his growing paranoia. He begins to suspect she may be involved in the conspiracy against him.
Krasnevin and Gatiss, along with Caroline, arrive in West Berlin, a city teeming with espionage and uncertainty. The tension between them intensifies as both sides try to unravel the web of double-crosses and deception. The chase for the Soviet assassin begins, leading Krasnevin deeper into a labyrinth of deceit. He realizes the British have no real evidence against him, relying solely on suspicion and his past actions. Krasnevin suspects his superiors in Moscow might be playing a dangerous game, potentially seeing him as expendable if he's no longer valuable in Britain. He fears he's merely a pawn in a larger game of international intrigue. The closer Krasnevin gets to the truth, the more he realizes he can trust no one. Gatiss's suspicions are fueled by his own paranoia, and even Caroline's intentions become increasingly unclear.
As Krasnevin dives deeper into the investigation, he uncovers a shocking conspiracy that threatens the entire world. He discovers a hidden agenda that extends far beyond the original file, involving powerful figures and dangerous secrets. Faced with the realization that he is a pawn in a larger game, Krasnevin must choose: stay in the shadows and continue to serve the Soviets, risking his own life and freedom, or turn his back on them and risk exposing himself to the British, who will likely be suspicious of his motives. Where Krasnevin must face his demons, his past, and the ultimate consequences of his choices. He must decide if he will play the game of shadows until the end, or fight for his own freedom. Assignment will leave a lingering sense of ambiguity, highlighting the slippery nature of truth and the moral grey areas of espionage.
Krasnevin is confronted by his Russian handlers, who reveal that they knew he was a double agent all along. They give him a choice: return to Russia and live a life of anonymity, or die. Krasnevin chooses the latter, ending his double life and his suffering. Krasnevin's death represents the ultimate sacrifice for his country. He was willing to give up everything, including his own life, for his principles and beliefs.
Largely filmed on location in London and Berlin,[citation needed] this was Anthony Mann's final film; he died of a heart attack before it was finished. Its direction was completed by Harvey.
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "One wonders what Bresson might have made of Derek Marlowe's novel, which is in one way a completely routine spy thriller, and in another, anything but. The point about the novel is that when Eberlin, the double agent, finds that he has been assigned to kill himself, it is as if he were paralysed by the irony of his position. All the usual spy things happen, violence proliferates, he acts and is acted upon; but because he is aware that he is securely caught in a trap (and the book sees events exclusively from his point of view), all this action is merely vain fluttering, leading nowhere and having no real meaning. In a very real, Bressonian sense, the action takes place in Eberlin's mind, where exterior events are seen, as it were, through a glass darkly, imponderably adding to or subtracting from his chances of survival. The film, predictably, opts for a straightforward actionful approach, with the result that what we get is a totally routine spy thriller. ... The plot, in fact, just isn't strong enough or inventive enough to withstand this sort of clumsy exteriorisation, and the result is deadly dullness."[5]
The New York Times described it as "a very wobbly spy movie ... slow, blank, decorous and completely devoid of suspense."[6]
Variety called the film as a "routine, poorly-titled espionage meller loaded with uninteresting, cardboard characters."[7]
Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide rates the film 2 out of 4 stars and describes it as a "wooden spy melodrama in which principals keep switching sides so rapidly it becomes impossible to follow."[8]
Time Out said: "the film is strong on Cold War atmospherics and notable for its superior cast."[9]
A Dandy in Aspic was released to DVD on 1 August 2011 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment as a DVD-on-demand title available through Amazon. A limited edition blu-ray disc with extensive bonus materials was released in the United Kingdom on 25 March 2019. In 2020, it became available for streaming on The Criterion Channel.
