The Defector

The Defector is a drama thriller about an American scientist named James Bower who travels to East Germany on behalf of the CIA. His mission is to obtain a secret microfilm from a Soviet researcher who wants to defect to the West. The operation becomes difficult as Bower faces constant surveillance and interference from the Stasi secret police and other intelligence agents.

This 1966 French and German co-production was directed and produced by Raoul Lévy, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Robert Guenette. The film stars Montgomery Clift in the role of Professor Bower, alongside Hardy Krüger as Counselor Peter Heinzmann and Macha Méril as Frieda Hoffmann. Other cast members include David Opatoshu, Christine Delaroche, and Hannes Messemer.

Audience reception for the film is moderate. It holds a rating of 5.7/10 on IMDb based on 848 votes, while on TMDB it has a slightly higher score of 5.8/10 from 9 votes.