This film is based in real facts. Though he doesn’t particularly agree with the Nazis Eric Erickson (William Holden) is a successful Swedish oil business man with commercial links with Germany during World War II. His activity allows Erickson to travel constantly between Stockholm and Berlin and he has important friends in Hitler’s circle. British Intelligence sees the opportunity to use him as a spy and they blacklist him to force him to take the job.
Actual locations in Europe, a very skillfully handled script and a first rate cast make this film one of the best in its genre. The point is that “The Counterfait Traitor” lasts 2 hours and 20 minutes and it doesn’t have a single uninteresting sequence. Tension and intrigue are always there and it doesn’t lack drama and action either. It has it all.
The cast is outstanding. Holden’s performance is quite solid and natural. Lilli Palmer is most convincing as Marianne Mollendorf -Holden’s contact in Germany- who revolves the man’s traditional ideas on war and neutrality as well as on his matrimony. Hugh Griffith, not far away from his Oscar winning performance in “Ben Hur” (1959) renders here a superb work as Collins the intelligence Britsh member that traps Holden.
You should see this film if you didn’t whether you like espionage films or not. It has something interesting for everyone. It’s a 10 out of 10 for me; I still can’t find any weaknesses or flaws in it.
