Film/Television Review: Red King, White Knight (1989)

New Cold War has started, making the old Cold War thrillers look frighteningly relevant in light of current events. Among those glimpses into dark past there were those that might give us insight into our increasingly dark present and uncertain future. One of those, that was, quite ironically, made at the very end of that historical period, is Red King, White Knight, 1989 cable television film directed by Geoff Murphy.

The plot begins when top KGB operative Tulayev (played by Tom Bell) hires former IRA terrorist Clancy (played by Gavan O’Herlihy) to conduct high profile assassination. His men accidentally discover that the target is Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet leader whose reform-minded policies apparently became unacceptable for higher echelons of Party, military and secret services. One of them survives long enough to get in contact with CIA and offer his knowledge of the plot in exchange for new identity and life in the West. Bill Stoner (played by Tom Skerritt), former agent with traumatic past, is sent over the Iron Curtain to unnamed East Bloc country to check those claims. Stoner gets in touch with the potential defector, but the man killed at the airport, while Stoner is forced to seek shelter at his old girlfriend Anna (played by Helen Mirren). Tulayev wants to catch him with the help of an old secret police operative Szaz (played by Max von Sydow) while in Washington D.C. top officials debate whether they should alert Gorbachev or not.

Red King, White Knight was made in HBO production, at the locations in Hungary, country still officially Communist and part of the East Bloc, but increasingly eager to go its own way. Timing of its premiere was, however, quite unfortunate, only few weeks after the fall of Berlin Wall, the event that triggered rapid collapse of Communist and Soviet-backed regimes all over Eastern Europe and making the basic plot premise (like The Package released few months earlier) completely moot. As a thriller without political and historical context, Red King, White Knight is rather forgettable affair and it isn’t surprising why it quickly became obscure. Interesting premise is ruined by Geoff Murphy’s terrible direction, especially in the first part of the film, when most of the audience will be annoyed by editing that make unnatural cuts between the scenes and over-melodramatic music score by John Stott. Film becomes effective only at the last thirty minutes or so, when the protagonists have to actually prevent the assassination, although the general outcome is quite predictable. What makes this film watchable is very good casting. Tom Skerritt is good as cynical, world-weary former alcholic, while Helen Mirren is great as a woman forced to betray her ideals and make unpleasant compromises to stay alive. Gavan O’Herlihy slightly overacts in the role of excessively violent assassin, while British character actor Tom Bell is quite menacing in the role of his KGB employer. Max von Sydow gives the best performance as former secret policeman forced to face the inevitable death and collapse of the system he has served.

The most interesting aspect of Red King, White Knight is, however, in the scenes that show how US official debate whether to warn Gorbachev or not, or whether the end of Cold War would be in America’s and world’s best interest. Some of the arguments – like how the masses of ex-Communist countries being allowed to enjoy Western living standard and technology could make irreparable environmental damage or prospect of US military getting involved in myriad of ethnic conflicts in Eastern Europe – look like some of the arguments that are being made today. Red King, White Knight show that films don’t have to be particularly good in order to be thought-provoking.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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