Operation Mincemeat
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Short description
Operation Mincemeat is set in 1943, as the Allies prepare to strike at occupied Europe and face the problem of how to keep a large invasion force from meeting disaster. Two British intelligence officers, Ewen Montagu and Charles Cholmondeley, are handed the task of devising a deception to mislead German intelligence about where the attack will fall. Their scheme centres on a corpse carrying false papers, planted where enemy agents are likely to find it. The plan is based on real events and on Ben Macintyre's book.
John Madden directs, working from a screenplay by Michelle Ashford. The film is the thirteenth of the fourteen features Madden has directed in chronological order, following Miss Sloane and preceding Onwards and Sideways. Colin Firth plays Montagu and Matthew Macfadyen plays Cholmondeley, with Kelly Macdonald, Penelope Wilton, Johnny Flynn and Jason Isaacs among a credited cast of thirty-four. Produced by Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Kris Thykier, it runs 128 minutes.
Worldwide box office came to about 16 million USD. On IMDb the rating is 6.6/10 from roughly 43,000 votes, and on TMDB it is 6.5/10 from 842 votes. A critics' rating of 6.6/10 from 115 reviews places it close to both audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The history of Operation Mincemeat and the screenplay of the 1955 war drama 'The Man Who Never Was' (Ronald Neame) inspired Ernest Lehman to write the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's thriller 'North by Northwest' (1959).
- In reality, the body taken for Operation 'Minced Meat' began to decompose to the point where it could have become unsuitable for the deception. The trick was to keep the corpse in the water for not too long. One way or another, the Royal Navy ordered that the operation not be cancelled.
- The plot of the film is based on real historical events related to the British attempt to mislead the German high command during World War II. British intelligence services took a great risk with the implementation of Operation Mincemeat. Someone from the high-ranking officials of the Third Reich (some believe it was Heinrich Himmler) informed the Führer of his suspicions, but he dismissed the warning.
- The film contains several references to the James Bond franchise universe. For example, the head of the secret service is known as “M,” there is also a “Q” department that develops and creates spy gadgets and devices, and one of the main characters is named Ian Fleming (the writer who created James Bond). The company “Moneypenny” is also mentioned in the credits, which is the name of Mr. “M’s” secretary, who, in turn, was the boss of agent 007 in the franchise films.
- The complaints of the character played by Matthew Macfadyen that he is surrounded by writers were not unfounded. Ewen Montagu (played by Colin Firth), John Masterman (Alex Jennings), and Charles Fraser-Smith (James Fleet) became authors of books about intelligence and espionage, while Ian Fleming (Johnny Flynn) and his character James Bond brought worldwide fame.
- During the showing of the opening scenes, a voiceover recites the words of Winston Churchill, spoken by him during the Tehran Conference in 1943.
- When Montague says his wife has taken a job with the Coordination Council of British Intelligence, he is referring to a secret structure founded by William Stephenson at the behest of Winston Churchill (Stephenson was played by David Niven in the 1979 miniseries 'A Man Called Intrepid').
- Paul Ritter's last appearance on screen; the actor died after filming but before the film's release.
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