A cardinal is arrested for treason against the state. He is a popular hero of his people, for his resistance against the Nazis during the war and his resistance when his country again fell to a totalitarian conqueror. In prison, his interrogator is determined to extract a confession of guilt, and thus destroy his power over his people.
Directed by Peter Glenville
black and white
IMDB
N/A
Letterboxd
3.5 / 5
Where to Watch
Cast
Alec Guinness
The Cardinal
Jack Hawkins
The Interrogator
Wilfrid Lawson
The Jailer
Kenneth Griffith
The Secretary
Jeanette Sterke
The Girl
Ronald Lewis
The Guard
Raymond Huntley
The General
Mark Dignam
The Governor
Gerard Heinz
The Doctor
Percy Herbert
Soldier (uncredited)
Oscar Quitak
Cafe Waiter (uncredited)
Denis Shaw
Plainclothesman (uncredited)
Crew
Peter Glenville
Director
John Hawkesworth
Art Direction
Julie Harris
Costume Design
Popular Reviews
1 review
Ethan
9.0★ · 06/21/25
Truly one of the most underrated films I’ve ever seen. I believe that it is up there with one of the greats such as 12 angry men and 7 Samurai. This is saying a lot but it truly is amazing. The performances were some of the best I’ve seen especially by Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi from THE original Star Wars trilogy).
The story has you on the edge of your seat and really makes you think about how much a person can take while in prison. The change in character from the beginning to the end of the film was shocking to see. We see this hard stubborn man first and then see him break down towards the end whether he truly believes these crimes or not.
And then seeing the complex feelings of the interrogator towards the end after forcing a humble man to believe that what he did was wrong even though there was debate for the opposing side. Truly some phenomenal story telling and it’s one of the best for me.
Truly one of the most underrated films I’ve ever seen. I believe that it is up there with one of the greats such as 12 angry men and 7 Samurai. This is saying a lot but it truly is amazing. The performances were some of the best I’ve seen especially by Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi from THE original Star Wars trilogy).
The story has you on the edge of your seat and really makes you think about how much a person can take while in prison. The change in character from the beginning to the end of the film was shocking to see. We see this hard stubborn man first and then see him break down towards the end whether he truly believes these crimes or not.
And then seeing the complex feelings of the interrogator towards the end after forcing a humble man to believe that what he did was wrong even though there was debate for the opposing side. Truly some phenomenal story telling and it’s one of the best for me.
