EYE OF THE NEEDLE – A WW II spy thriller 

EYE OF THE NEEDLE is a 1981 spy thriller starring Donald Sutherland. In it, one key plot point exposes one of the acts of deception that we discussed in our episode “OPERATION BODYGUARD - Behind the Spies in Movies and Novels”.  

In this episode, Dan and Tom decode EYE OF THE NEEDLE, discussing the high-level plot and 10 good reasons to watch it. The deception which is centerfold in this movie has its roots in the real Operation Fortitude – which frames the discussion.

One big plus for this movie is Donald Sutherland. He gives an excellent performance playing Henry Faber.  He really knows how to play a villain.

This DECODING session answers the questions:

• Is this an engaging espionage plot ?
• What of the atmospheric setting ?
• The character development?
• Does the movie sustain a  tense and suspenseful feeling?
• Strong supporting cast ?
• What’s the movie's historical context? 
• What is the moral ambiguity?
• How visually impressive is this movie?
• Spy taxis?
• U-Boats?
• Abide With Me?

This movie is an adaptation from a Ken Follett novel 

Dan and Tom also discuss criticisms of EYE OF THE NEEDLE, weighing in as to whether they agree or disagree with the critiques. 

Tell us what you think 

So have you seen EYE OF THE NEEDLE?  What did you think of it? 

Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode. Just drop us a note at [email protected].  The more we hear from you, the better the show will surely be!  We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode!   

You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. In addition, you can check out our YouTube channel as well.   

Episode Webpage: https://bit.ly/3S0k2LP