The Whistle Blower
Encyclopedia
The Whistle Blower is a 1986 British spy thriller film
, starring Michael Caine
, based on the novel
of the same name by John Hale.
) is a retired British naval officer, who is now a businessman. His bright but naive and idealistic son, Robert (Havers
), works as a linguist at GCHQ a top secret British intelligence agency, using his love of Russian to listen to various pieces of communication on the other side of the Iron Curtain
.
The film opens on Remembrance Day
in Whitehall
, as the war veterans line up to walk past the Cenotaph
, then moves back to a conversation between Jones and his son at Robert's flat some months earlier, where Robert tells Jones that strange things are happening at GCHQ, and he's planning on leaving and marrying an older woman called Cynthia (Dean
) he's fallen in love with.
Robert says a Soviet mole was found, and that security is all over the place encouraging people to rat on each other. The higher ups seem convinced that if they don't do something, their American friends in the CIA will stop working with them. Frank isn't thrilled over the marriage plans, and he tells his son before he leaves that it's unlikely anything off key can be happening in the agency. It's obvious that Jones loves his son deeply and wants him to be happy, whatever he may choose for himself.
The scene cuts to a room in British Intelligence, where operatives including Bruce (Jackson
) are listening to a tape recording of the conversation between Jones and his son.
A few days later, police report to Jones that Robert has died in a fall in an apparent suicide
, and propose a verdict of accidental death is recorded. However, in the midst of his grief, Jones is puzzled by the circumstances of his son's death and decides to use his old skills to conduct his own investigation, and approaches his friend Charles Greig (Foster
), who had joined MI6 after his service in the navy. Greig agrees to make discreet enquiries on his part.
Returning to Robert's flat, Jones is confronted by radical socialist journalist Bill Pickett (Colley
) who had arranged to meet Robert to discuss the problems at British Intelligence, but Jones rejects his investigative approaches. Jones is also told that he is in the running for a large government contract for his firm, with an implicit undertone that he not make waves about his son's death.
The rest of the movie digs into an examination of the British establishment which is disturbing and ugly, and make Jones question his view of the country he loves. There are strong echoes of the Antony Blunt case and the Cambridge spies. Jones, discreetly pursued by British Intelligence, finds men who easily consider others expendable if their ideas of class and privilege are endangered.
After Pickett is also killed in mysterious circumstances in a traffic accident, having found out the name of the man who Robert wished him to meet and before meeting Jones. Jones is then approached by Robert's best friend and fellow British intelligence linguist Allen Goodburn (Hawkins) at Robert's funeral. Jones gets from Goodburn that it was his good friend Grieg who had approached him as to Robert's feelings for the service. Jones gets Grieg drunk and gets him to confess that he was at Robert's flat the night Robert died. Grirg admits he was there as the service had something on him, but that his job was only to leave the door open and let "others" heavy hand Robert, not kill him.
Leaving Grieg in his drunken stupor, Jones is picked up by British Intelligence and driven to a country house, where he is confronted by Secretary to the Cabinet (Langton
) and Lord (Fox
). They explain to him that his son was out of control, and was killed as part of a plan to mislead the Americans to the extent of the depth of Russian intelligence's operatives inside British operations, in the hope that they could continue to gain intelligence from the CIA. They have presently left the higher Russian operative in place, until they can assess the extent of the damage caused. They advise Jones that should he go public with any of this information, he and/or Robert's girlfriend Cynthia and her daughter will be killed or at least restrained. As a door to a further dining room opens, Jones notices Sir Adrian Chapple (Gielgud
) and concludes him to be the higher level Russian operative.
The film returns to the present, and Remembrance Day parade. Jones confronts Chapple at his home in Whitehall, and gets him to confess to being a spy for Russia. Jones asks Chapple to sign a full confession, which he does, but on approaching the desk where Chapple writes, Chapple points a gun at Jones. Jones turns the gun on Chapple, which goes off and kills Chapple—leaving his signed confession to act as a suicide note, and leave Jones in the clear. Jones returns to the Remembrance Day parade.
The closing credits roll to an ambulance attending the death of Chapple, as Caine walks past the Cenotaph up Whitehall.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, starring Michael Caine
Michael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
, based on the novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
of the same name by John Hale.
Plot
Frank Jones (CaineMichael Caine
Sir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
) is a retired British naval officer, who is now a businessman. His bright but naive and idealistic son, Robert (Havers
Nigel Havers
Nigel Allan Havers is an English actor. He is probably best known for his BAFTA-nominated role as Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film Chariots of Fire, and for his role as Dr. Tom Latimer in the British TV comedy series Don't Wait Up...
), works as a linguist at GCHQ a top secret British intelligence agency, using his love of Russian to listen to various pieces of communication on the other side of the Iron Curtain
Iron Curtain
The concept of the Iron Curtain symbolized the ideological fighting and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1989...
.
The film opens on Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day
Remembrance Day is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognized as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth...
in Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
, as the war veterans line up to walk past the Cenotaph
Cenotaph
A cenotaph is an "empty tomb" or a monument erected in honour of a person or group of people whose remains are elsewhere. It can also be the initial tomb for a person who has since been interred elsewhere. The word derives from the Greek κενοτάφιον = kenotaphion...
, then moves back to a conversation between Jones and his son at Robert's flat some months earlier, where Robert tells Jones that strange things are happening at GCHQ, and he's planning on leaving and marrying an older woman called Cynthia (Dean
Felicity Dean
Felicity Dean is a British film, stage and television actress.-Early life:Dean was born as Felicity Jane Dean at St George's Hospital at Hyde Park Corner London in 1959. She attended the Hurst Lodge School in Sunningdale England...
) he's fallen in love with.
Robert says a Soviet mole was found, and that security is all over the place encouraging people to rat on each other. The higher ups seem convinced that if they don't do something, their American friends in the CIA will stop working with them. Frank isn't thrilled over the marriage plans, and he tells his son before he leaves that it's unlikely anything off key can be happening in the agency. It's obvious that Jones loves his son deeply and wants him to be happy, whatever he may choose for himself.
The scene cuts to a room in British Intelligence, where operatives including Bruce (Jackson
Gordon Jackson (actor)
Gordon Cameron Jackson, OBE was a Scottish Emmy Award-winning actor best remembered for his roles as the butler Angus Hudson in Upstairs, Downstairs and George Cowley, the head of CI5, in The Professionals....
) are listening to a tape recording of the conversation between Jones and his son.
A few days later, police report to Jones that Robert has died in a fall in an apparent suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, and propose a verdict of accidental death is recorded. However, in the midst of his grief, Jones is puzzled by the circumstances of his son's death and decides to use his old skills to conduct his own investigation, and approaches his friend Charles Greig (Foster
Barry Foster (actor)
Barry Foster was a British actor who appeared in numerous film roles and is known for his leading role as a Dutch detective in the ITV drama series, Van der Valk, which spanned five series over 20 years from 1972....
), who had joined MI6 after his service in the navy. Greig agrees to make discreet enquiries on his part.
Returning to Robert's flat, Jones is confronted by radical socialist journalist Bill Pickett (Colley
Kenneth Colley
Kenneth Colley is an English actor. A long-time character actor, he came to wider prominence through his role as Admiral Piett in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi....
) who had arranged to meet Robert to discuss the problems at British Intelligence, but Jones rejects his investigative approaches. Jones is also told that he is in the running for a large government contract for his firm, with an implicit undertone that he not make waves about his son's death.
The rest of the movie digs into an examination of the British establishment which is disturbing and ugly, and make Jones question his view of the country he loves. There are strong echoes of the Antony Blunt case and the Cambridge spies. Jones, discreetly pursued by British Intelligence, finds men who easily consider others expendable if their ideas of class and privilege are endangered.
After Pickett is also killed in mysterious circumstances in a traffic accident, having found out the name of the man who Robert wished him to meet and before meeting Jones. Jones is then approached by Robert's best friend and fellow British intelligence linguist Allen Goodburn (Hawkins) at Robert's funeral. Jones gets from Goodburn that it was his good friend Grieg who had approached him as to Robert's feelings for the service. Jones gets Grieg drunk and gets him to confess that he was at Robert's flat the night Robert died. Grirg admits he was there as the service had something on him, but that his job was only to leave the door open and let "others" heavy hand Robert, not kill him.
Leaving Grieg in his drunken stupor, Jones is picked up by British Intelligence and driven to a country house, where he is confronted by Secretary to the Cabinet (Langton
David Langton
David Muir Langton was a British actor who is best remembered for playing Richard Bellamy in the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs.-Early years:...
) and Lord (Fox
James Fox
James Fox, OBE is an English actor.-Early life:James Fox was born in London, England to theatrical agent Robin Fox and actress Angela Worthington. He is the brother of actor Edward Fox and film producer Robert Fox. The actress Emilia Fox is his niece and the actor Laurence Fox is his son. His...
). They explain to him that his son was out of control, and was killed as part of a plan to mislead the Americans to the extent of the depth of Russian intelligence's operatives inside British operations, in the hope that they could continue to gain intelligence from the CIA. They have presently left the higher Russian operative in place, until they can assess the extent of the damage caused. They advise Jones that should he go public with any of this information, he and/or Robert's girlfriend Cynthia and her daughter will be killed or at least restrained. As a door to a further dining room opens, Jones notices Sir Adrian Chapple (Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
) and concludes him to be the higher level Russian operative.
The film returns to the present, and Remembrance Day parade. Jones confronts Chapple at his home in Whitehall, and gets him to confess to being a spy for Russia. Jones asks Chapple to sign a full confession, which he does, but on approaching the desk where Chapple writes, Chapple points a gun at Jones. Jones turns the gun on Chapple, which goes off and kills Chapple—leaving his signed confession to act as a suicide note, and leave Jones in the clear. Jones returns to the Remembrance Day parade.
The closing credits roll to an ambulance attending the death of Chapple, as Caine walks past the Cenotaph up Whitehall.
Production
The film was largely shot on location in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire; home of GCHQ, which forms the premise of the movie. Cheltenham Racecourse, Cheltenham Crematorium and The Promenade feature in the filmCast
- Michael CaineMichael CaineSir Michael Caine, CBE is an English actor. He won Academy Awards for best supporting actor in both Hannah and Her Sisters and The Cider House Rules ....
- Frank Jones - James FoxJames FoxJames Fox, OBE is an English actor.-Early life:James Fox was born in London, England to theatrical agent Robin Fox and actress Angela Worthington. He is the brother of actor Edward Fox and film producer Robert Fox. The actress Emilia Fox is his niece and the actor Laurence Fox is his son. His...
- Lord - Nigel HaversNigel HaversNigel Allan Havers is an English actor. He is probably best known for his BAFTA-nominated role as Lord Andrew Lindsay in the 1981 British film Chariots of Fire, and for his role as Dr. Tom Latimer in the British TV comedy series Don't Wait Up...
- Robert Jones - John GielgudJohn GielgudSir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
- Sir Adrian Chapple - Felicity DeanFelicity DeanFelicity Dean is a British film, stage and television actress.-Early life:Dean was born as Felicity Jane Dean at St George's Hospital at Hyde Park Corner London in 1959. She attended the Hurst Lodge School in Sunningdale England...
- Cynthia Goodburn - Barry FosterBarry Foster (actor)Barry Foster was a British actor who appeared in numerous film roles and is known for his leading role as a Dutch detective in the ITV drama series, Van der Valk, which spanned five series over 20 years from 1972....
- Charles Greig - Gordon JacksonGordon Jackson (actor)Gordon Cameron Jackson, OBE was a Scottish Emmy Award-winning actor best remembered for his roles as the butler Angus Hudson in Upstairs, Downstairs and George Cowley, the head of CI5, in The Professionals....
- British intelligence operative, Bruce - Kenneth ColleyKenneth ColleyKenneth Colley is an English actor. A long-time character actor, he came to wider prominence through his role as Admiral Piett in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi....
- journalist Bill Pickett - David LangtonDavid LangtonDavid Muir Langton was a British actor who is best remembered for playing Richard Bellamy in the period drama Upstairs, Downstairs.-Early years:...
- Secretary to the Cabinet - Dinah Stabb - Rose
- James SimmonsJames SimmonsJames Simmons was a poet, literary critic and songwriter from Derry, Northern Ireland.-Biography:He was born into a middle-class Protestant family in Derry in 1933 and attended Campbell College in Belfast before moving to the University of Leeds to read for a degree in English...
- Mark - Katherine Reeve - Tiffany
- Bill WallisBill WallisBill Wallis is a British character actor and comedian who has appeared in numerous radio and television roles, as well as in the theatre....
- Dodgson - Trevor CooperTrevor CooperTrevor "Trev" Cooper is an English actor.-Background:Cooper studied law at Kingston Polytechnic and graduated with a masters degree in law from the University of Warwick...
- Inspector Bourne - Peter MilesPeter MilesPeter Miles is a British actor. He has played many television roles including several different characters in Z-Cars and Doctor Who. His other television work has included Survivors, The Sweeney, Dixon of Dock Green, Moonbase 3, Poldark and Bergerac.In the science fiction series Blake's 7 he played...
- Stephen Kedge - David ShaughnessyDavid ShaughnessyDavid James Shaughnessy is a British-born theatre and television director, producer and actor. Educated at Eton College and the Central School of Speech & Drama, London. He started in repertory theatres all around the UK and went on to become a principal actor with the famous Old Vic Theatre...
- Medical officer - Patrick HoltPatrick HoltPatrick Holt was a British film and television actor.-Biography:Patrick Holt's real name was Patrick G. Parsons. Some of his childhood was spent in India with his Uncle. Patrick was sent to Christ's Hospital, a famous charity school in England, UK...
- Irate driver