If you’re a fan of high-stakes espionage and moral ambiguity, you’ve probably realized that most modern thrillers owe a massive debt to the classics. Honestly, The Spy in Black is one of those foundational pieces of cinema that people frequently overlook because it’s black and white. Released in 1939, right as the world was teetering on the edge of World War II, it wasn't just another propaganda flick. It was something much weirder and more sophisticated. It marks the very first collaboration between Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
You might know them as "The Archers."
They eventually gave us The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus, but it all started here. With a German submarine captain. In Scotland.
The Spy in Black and the Birth of a Legendary Partnership
The plot is tight. It’s 1917, during the First World War. Captain Hardt, played by the legendary Conrad Veidt, is a U-boat commander sent to the Orkney Islands. His mission? Meet a local contact—a schoolmistress—and sink the British fleet at Scapa Flow.
Veidt is incredible.
He had this sharp, haunted face that could look terrifying one second and deeply empathetic the next. You probably recognize him as the somnambulist from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari or the inspiration for the Joker’s look in The Man Who Laughs. In The Spy in Black, he isn't a mustache-twirling villain. He’s a professional. He’s a man doing a job he believes in, which makes the inevitable twists much more painful to watch.
The film was actually based on a 1917 novel by J. Storer Clouston. By the time the movie went into production, the political climate in Europe was a powder keg. Interestingly, the British government was actually quite supportive of the film, even though the protagonist was technically the "enemy."
Why?
Because the movie emphasizes honor. It shows a German who isn't a monster, which, ironically, makes the stakes feel higher. If the enemy is smart and capable, the heroes have to be better.
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Why the Orkney Setting Changes Everything
Location is a character in this movie. The desolate, windswept landscapes of the Scottish islands provide this incredible sense of isolation. You can almost feel the cold North Sea spray coming off the screen.
Powell was obsessed with place.
He didn't want a generic studio backdrop. He wanted the gray, oppressive atmosphere of a coastal village where everyone knows everyone—and everyone is watching. This sense of paranoia is the engine of the film. When Hardt meets the schoolmistress, played by Valerie Hobson, the chemistry is uneasy. It’s a game of cat and mouse where you aren't always sure who is which animal.
Breaking Down the Twist (Without Giving it All Away)
Most spy movies from this era are pretty linear. You have the good guys, the bad guys, and a clear finish line. The Spy in Black messes with that.
It uses a "double-cross" structure that felt revolutionary in 1939.
Halfway through, the narrative floor drops out. You realize that information has been withheld not just from the characters, but from you, the viewer. This was Pressburger’s influence. He was a master of the script, knowing exactly when to pivot.
The relationship between Hardt and the schoolmistress shifts from professional collaboration to something far more complex. Is there a romantic spark? Maybe. But in the world of espionage, a spark is usually just a distraction before a gunshot.
- The film’s pacing is surprisingly fast for its age.
- Cinematography by Joseph Brun captures the stark contrast of the U-boat interiors against the vastness of the sea.
- It highlights the technical reality of WWI naval warfare without getting bogged down in "nerd stats."
The Impact on the Genre
Think about the tropes we see in movies like Bridge of Spies or even the Mission: Impossible franchise. The idea of the "gentleman spy" or the "honorable adversary" traces back to films like this.
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Before The Spy in Black, many war films were simplistic. This movie introduced a shade of gray. It suggests that war is a series of unfortunate choices made by people who might otherwise have been friends.
Conrad Veidt himself was an interesting figure behind the scenes. He was a staunch anti-Nazi who had to flee Germany because his wife was Jewish. Taking a role as a German officer in a British film was a delicate balancing act. He had to humanize the character without appearing to sympathize with the regime he had just escaped. He nailed it.
The Technical Side of the U-Boat Scenes
For the time, the naval sequences were fairly ambitious. They didn't have CGI. They used models and clever editing to create the claustrophobia of a submarine.
The sound design is also worth noting.
The constant hum of the engines and the dripping water in the sub create a tension that builds throughout the film. It makes the moments on land feel strangely quiet and exposed. Powell used these audio cues to signal when Hardt was in his element versus when he was out of his depth.
What People Get Wrong About 1930s Thrillers
A lot of people think old movies are "slow."
That’s a misconception. While the editing might not be as frenetic as a Michael Bay film, the psychological tension in The Spy in Black is relentless. It’s more about what isn't being said.
Another mistake is assuming the film is purely pro-British propaganda. While it certainly favors the Allied cause, it spends a significant amount of time making us like the German protagonist. That’s a risky move. It forces the audience to confront the tragedy of war on a personal level rather than just a national one.
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Practical Ways to Enjoy the Film Today
If you're going to watch The Spy in Black, you should probably look for the restored versions. The Criterion Collection or various British Film Institute (BFI) releases have cleaned up the grain and restored the audio levels.
- Watch it as a double feature: Pair it with Contraband (1940). It features the same lead actors and the same director-writer team. It’s essentially the spiritual successor.
- Pay attention to the shadows: Powell was heavily influenced by German Expressionism. Look at how he uses light to bisect characters’ faces during moments of deception.
- Listen to the dialogue: Notice how little "fluff" there is. Every conversation is a move on a chessboard.
The movie isn't just a museum piece. It’s a masterclass in how to build suspense with limited resources. In a world where we’re saturated with $200 million action movies, there’s something refreshing about a film that relies on a sharp script and a few intense glances to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Actionable Insights for Cinephiles
To truly appreciate the depth of this work, start by researching the "Scapa Flow" naval base. Understanding why that specific location was so vital to the British Navy during both World Wars adds a layer of reality to the stakes of the mission.
Next, compare the portrayal of the "enemy" in this 1939 film to films made just three years later, like Went the Day Well? or Pimpernel Smith. You’ll see a dramatic shift in how cinema handled the depiction of Germans as the war progressed from a distant threat to a brutal reality.
Finally, track the career of Michael Powell after this film. Seeing how his visual style evolved from this relatively grounded spy thriller into the hallucinatory technicolor of his later works provides a fascinating look at the development of one of cinema's greatest directors.
Don't just watch it for the plot. Watch it to see the moment when the modern thriller was born. The DNA of every spy who ever came in from the cold is right here, in the dark waters of the Scottish coast.
Next Steps for the Reader
- Locate a High-Quality Print: Check streaming services like MUBI, Kanopy (through your library), or the Criterion Channel, which frequently host restored versions of Powell and Pressburger’s early works.
- Read the Original Source: Find a digital copy of J. Storer Clouston’s 1917 novel to see how Pressburger streamlined the narrative for the screen.
- Contextualize the History: Briefly look up the sinking of the HMS Royal Oak, which happened at Scapa Flow just weeks after the movie was released—a chilling coincidence that turned the film into an accidental "current events" piece.