Film Review: The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)

In 1980s MTV provided Hollywood with the new and powerful tool to promote films. Music videos of theme songs from feature films, especially when performed by popular artists, were sometimes able to spark public interest more than conventional trailer ever did. One such example was "This Is Not America", song performed by David Bowie and Pat Metheny Group at the end titles of The Falcon and the Snowman, 1985 spy thriller directed by John Schlesinger. The song was memorable but, like many such songs, proved to be more memorable than the film itself.

The film was adaptation of the eponymous book by Robert Lindsey, which had described real life case of high profile espionage in 1970s California. At the beginning we are introduced to Christopher Boyce (played by Timothy Hutton), young man from large, traditional but well-to-do Catholic family. He decides to leave seminary, much to displeasure of his father (played by Pat Hingler), former FBI agent who nevertheless uses his old connections to land Christopher job at RTX, communication company that runs top secret facility for CIA, NSA and various US government agencies. There Boyce discovers many embarrassing secrets about American covert actions and gets enraged after learning that CIA plots to bring down prime minister Gough Whitlam, prime minister of Australia, democratically elected leader of a country which is supposed to be US ally. Convinced that revealing such information to media would have little effect on apathetic US public, he opts instead to sell it to the Soviets. In order to do so he enlists help of childhood friend Andrew Daulton Lee (played by Sean Penn). Lee, like Boyce, grew up in upper middle class, but his life took different path and he is now earns his living as a drug dealer, often travelling to Mexico. Boyce talks him into making more such trips in order to get in contact with Soviet embassy in Mexico City and pass his information in exchange for money. The scheme works for a while, but soon Lee’s drug habit and unhinged behaviour, as well as both men’s lack of experience in espionage, would lead to self-destructive paranoia.

Thanks to his "Oscar" triumph with Midnight Cowboy, British director John Schlesinger has built reputation as one of the great names of New Hollywood. His work on spy thriller The Marathon Man suggested that he could deliver another memorable piece of film making. However, it wasn’t meant to be. One explanation can be in bad timing – the film was made at the zenith of Reagan era, when, unlike Vietnam and Watergate years, US public had little taste for critical depiction of the government and its policies and enthusiastically re-embraced gung-ho Cold War patriotism. Under such circumstances The Falcon and the Snowman had very difficult task in bringing audience’s sympathy for main characters who betray their country. First feature screenplay by Steven Zaillian, writer who would later have much more success, didn’t help either with poor characterisations and never bothered to truly explain why Boyce had taken such drastic step and whether he had been motivated by politics or simple greed. Timothy Hutton does best under the circumstances and delivers competent performance, but he is easily overshadowed by Sean Penn who plays annoying drugged out loser with gusto. British actor David Suchet does much better job as Soviet handler who, despite attempts to befriend his intelligence source, gradually gets insulted with their cheap theatrics and amateurish approach to espionage. Schlesinger seems at a loss with such script and The Falcon and the Snowman becomes overlong with director sometimes indulging in "artsy" scenes related to Boyce’s unusual hobby of falconry. Obligatory but ultimately needless romantic subplot featuring Boyce’s girlfriend, played by Lori Singer, makes impression even worse . But the most disappointing thing about this film is failure to depict Boyce’s life after incarceration, which featured spectacular prison escape and brief but impressive career of a bank robber. This is one of many disappointments that deprived The Falcon and the Snowman of greatness and this film could be enjoyed only by most fanatical fans of its two main stars.

RATING: 4/10 (++)

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