Original subtitles

[soft music]

[rumbling]

- [Narrator] When Reilly failed to return from Russia,

his wife Pepita went to Paris

in search of Maria Schulz.

Maria had driven Reilly to the Russian border,

and Pepita believed that she was

the last person to see him alive.

- Madam Reilly.

- Yes?

What do you want?

- Your husband has papers here.

- No.

This is just a place he uses when he's in Paris.

Please.

- We have our orders.

- When my husband gets back--

- Your husband is dead, Mrs. Reilly.

- [Narrator] Reilly was, in fact, in the hands

of the Bolsheviks.

He had been arrested by Felix Dzerzhinsky,

the head of the Russian Secret Police,

on the direct orders of Stalin.

Reilly had returned to Russia to expose the Trust,

a supposedly anti-Bolshevik organization

which had been responsible

for the death of his friend, Boris Savinkov.

In the battle of wits between Dzerzhinsky and Reilly,

neither had counted on the intervention of Stalin.

- [Felix] I have a present for you, Captain Reilly.

- A razor, perhaps?

- You shall have your belongings soon.

Our agents picked this up in London.

I thought you might like it.

They also picked up some papers in Paris.

Oh, your wife was not molested in any way,

if that's what concerns you.

But she was told that you were dead.

I thought it best that the

uncertainty be removed from her mind.

- [Sidney] Think she's likely to believe

anything your agents may tell her?

- We shall see.

In the meanwhile, would you be so kind

as to accompany me down the corridor,

so that we can begin the protocol

of the interrogation?

- You are to conduct it.

- In the time being.

[rumbling]

- Thanks very much. - Very much, thank you.

- [Woman] Cabby.

[rumbling]

[soft music]

- Oh my God.

[soft music]

[rumbling]

[knocking]

- Come in.

- A gentleman to see you, Miss Houselander.

- Thank you.

Hello, George.

Thank you for coming to see me so promptly.

This arrived yesterday morning.

It's from Moscow.

- I'm sorry.

- He was your friend too, George.

- As far as the world is concerned, you're dead.

I emphasize this because I don't want you

to hold out any hope that you're gonna

get out of here alive.

And I want to spare you any unnecessary

suffering that prolonged resistance

to interrogation will bring.

- I appreciate your concern.

Beating someone to death can be counterproductive.

- Only the unskilled allow that to happen.

You will not be so fortunate.

- We'll begin with your name, nationality, date of birth.

What is your real name?

- I can't tell you that.

- The illness ended with the death of the children.

- [Sykes] What the hell does that mean?

- That is the message we received from boys in Stockholm.

It means he's dead.

- [Sykes] Well is he or isn't he?

- I don't think that he is.

The Russians take them from Helsinki.

It's all nonsense.

- Was he working for you when he went in?

- He was not being paid by us.

- So you're in the clear.

- Strictly speaking, yes.

- Good.

Let's keep it like that.

- If he is still alive,

I shall expect the foreign office to get him back.

- I have nothing more to do with him.

He's on his own now.

- Well if you won't help, then damn you.

I shall see the Prime Minister.

- As you please.

But you'll find his view is the same as mine.

And let's keep it out of the newspapers, shall we?

[chiming]

- Good morning, Sykes. - Morning.

- Mrs. Reilly's been trying to

contact you all morning, Captain Hill.

- Telephone her back, would you?

I suppose you know that Reilly has disappeared.

- Not before time, my dear fellow.

Not before time.

- I could happily push our

foreign office friend under a tram.

- A wretched man, scared stiff.

The whole thing will break and he'll lose his pension.

- Pillage.

- Damn it, blast you, Sidney Reilly.

Why did you have to do it?

- It was you that asked him to go.

[knocking]

- Mrs. Reilly's on the telephone.

- Can't you talk to her?

- No!

I will not speak to any of his wives

or any of his other women.

I'm delegating you to deal with Pepita and Caryll

and that Russian countess and Margaret,

if they can be found,

and all the rest of the lovesick maidens.

You will ensure that all of them realize

the seriousness of the situation

and that none of them speaks to the press.

- I've just seen Caryll Houselander.

She's received a postcard from Moscow

in Sidney's handwriting.

It contains one word.

Goodbye.

[clanking]

Pepita.

- What's going on, George?

I've just got back from Paris.

The place is wrecked.

And while I was over there,

two men called at the apartment

who told me Sidney's dead.

Is that true?

- I don't know, Pepita.

- I am his wife, George.

I have a right to know what's happening.

- I'll come over right away.

[rumbling]

My God.

They certainly have been busy, haven't they?

- They've taken his papers.

- I think we should start on him now.

- Hmm.

When did he have breakfast?

- Eight.

- Tell them to be careful with his head.

- [Torturer] On your feet.

[eerie music]

- What are you looking for?

- Anything that might compromise him or the service.

I suggest you bank this, my dear.

Money everywhere.

- How will this help us to get him out of Russia?

- These are the normal precautions

we take in shutdown.

[dramatic music]

[groans]

- Get your clothes off.

- I'm in the dark, George.

Completely in the dark.

I marry a man.

And within weeks, he disappears into Russia.

I get a letter from him which tells me not to worry.

I go and see Cummings, who tells me not to worry,

everything will be all right.

Then you.

Arrive here and start going through his pockets

in case you might find anything which might

compromise the service.

I know that the commander and you yourself know

a damn sight more about

and you just won't tell me the facts.

- The facts are that Sidney did not return

to the Finnish border as arranged.

The Russians issued a statement

saying that an Englishman had been killed

in a frontier skirmish and

that Caryll Houselander has received a postcard

from Moscow in Sidney's handwriting,

which says goodbye.

- Caryll Houselander was

she the woman who drew that sketch?

- Yes.

[soft music]

- Mrs. Reilly.

I've come to see Caryll Houselander.

- Oh yes, of course.

Come with me, please.

Mrs. Reilly.

I'm afraid she's been taken ill.

Doctor.

Doctor, this is Mrs. Reilly.

She's come to see Caryll.

- She's ill, I'm afraid.

- Nothing serious, I hope.

- It's hard to say.

It would appear to relate to a postcard she received.

- From Moscow?

- Yes.

- My husband sent it to her.

- See?

It's quite gray.

And here.

The bruising goes down to the coccyx.

We have no explanation for it.

[clanging]

[groans]

[moaning]

- Out of the depths I cry to thee, oh Lord.

Oh Lord, hear my voice.

Let thine ears be attentive to my supplication.

Oh Lord, who shall stand?

But I rest forgiveness in thee.

To always be filled.

[gasps]

My soul waits for the Lord.

I wait for the Lord.

And his voice I hope.

My soul waits for the Lord.

More than watchmen for the morning.

[moaning]

[rumbling]

- [George] How is she?

- A little better.

- Take you home?

[soft music]

What did the doctor say?

- He doesn't know what he's dealing with.

- Hmm.

- I'm sure.

I know it's got something to do with

what's happening to Sidney.

- Well, at least it means he's still alive.

Following your reasoning.

[rumbling]

- We'll begin once again.

Your name.

Do we still need to inflict

all this unnecessary suffering?

Your name.

- Sigmund

Geogvitch

Rosenblum.

- [Felix] Date of birth.

- March 24th, 1874.

- Tell me about your family.

- My mother married into the

Russian Military Establishment.

I am the product

of the illegitimate liaison

between my mother and her doctor.

When I left home,

I took the name of my natural father.

Rosenblum.

- And the name Reilly?

- My first wife's family name.

That is all I am prepared to tell you.

I need a doctor.

- I've already explained the situation to you.

Your time on this earth is limited.

It's important that it's used to our advantage.

You must realize that you are now our instrument.

- It would be a mistake to let me die.

- Get him a doctor.

- Think I will have that cigarette after all.

- Sidney tried to poison my first husband.

- Was he called Mr. Reilly?

- No.

The Reverend Hugh Thomas.

When he did die, he left me tolerably well off.

I married Sidney and he was able to join the service.

They paid damn all in those days.

- They still do.

- I became addicted to alcohol in Port Arthur.

And that was my downfall.

He couldn't tolerate any sort of failure.

He was quite ruthless.

- And so you obtained a divorce.

- Divorce.

My divorce was a paragraph in a Russian newspaper.

British Red Cross nurse killed tragically in accident.

Apparently, I was in Bulgaria

and the ambulance in which I was traveling

swerved off a mountain road

and plunged into a ravine.

Several nurses were killed,

including a Mrs. Reilly, who until recently,

was a resident of St. Petersburg.

Sidney wrote it, of course.

- You haven't still got it, have you?

- They took it.

- They took all your papers?

- Everything related to Sidney.

[clanging]

[muffled yelling]

This is the only thing that they missed.

Miss Nadia, his countess.

If ever there was a woman set upon marrying Sidney,

and a great many were, it was she.

- She divorced him.

Lives in New York.

- I know.

- And he's married Pepita.

- That makes three of us.

Doesn't it?

[muffled yelling]

- If the press come round, Mrs. Reilly,

you won't say anything about the robbery, will you?

Or about Sidney.

- Not a word, my dear.

- I'm most grateful that you got in touch.

- When I first heard all this,

I thought it was Sidney up to his old tricks.

But you tell me he's dead.

- That's what the Russians say.

- Sidney often plays dead, you know.

It's his way of getting out of things.

- Reilly, on the 28th of September,

killed near the village of Alico, Russia.

Shot by troops of the Russian Secret Police.

Captain Sidney Reilly MC.

Beloved husband of Pepita N. Reilly.

So, you see.

Even your wife believes that you're dead.

- It's not often a man gets to hear his own obituary.

- Though some of the British press

don't believe that you are dead.

- That is heartening.

- They spread the rumor that you've become a Bolshevik.

- That'll be the foreign office.

[ticking]

- Prime Minister will see you now, gentlemen.

- Good morning, gentlemen.

- Morning, Prime Minister. - Morning, Prime Minister.

- Gentlemen.

There are a number of questions down

on this man Reilly.

I have to know what is going on.

Who exactly is he?

Is he alive or dead?

- Sidney Reilly has been my most

valued agent for more than 20 years.

I believe he is still alive.

- Gentlemen, there are numerous occasions

when the Prime Minister prefers to be told

less than the truth.

This is not one of them.

[honking]

Perhaps you could begin by telling me

why Reilly went to Russia.

- To expose an organization known as the Trust,

which purports to be anti-Bolshevik.

We have long doubted its authenticity.

So, when they invited Reilly to Moscow

to convince him they were genuine,

worthy of the aid which the West

has been channeling their way for the past two years,

we encouraged him to go.

It should've been a three day mission.

- Hmm.

What went wrong?

- Well obviously, the Bolsheviks might have arrested him.

Although if the Trust was fraudulent,

it would not be in their interest to do so.

My view is that he quite simply

engineered his own arrest

in order to bring about the distraction of the Trust.

- What is your view, Sykes?

- Certainly, Cummings is right on one point.

Reilly's disappearance has led to the

discrediting of the Trust.

An organization for which the foreign office

has had the highest respect.

I have no doubt that he has been

a Bolshevik agent all this time,

and this episode only confirms my view.

My advice to you, Mr. Prime Minister,

is to have nothing else to do with this man.

He's an adventurer, a womanizer,

a threat to the country.

- What do you say to that, Cummings?

- Sir, he has done the state some service,

and I am determined to get him back

if it is at all possible.

[clanging]

[knocking]

[clanging]

- What do you want, Trilisser?

- I've brought the list you asked for.

- I see you placed your own name at the top.

- Yes, you asked for the names

of those most closely involved.

I've organized the Trust for Dzerzhinsky for four years.

- Take it off.

- Why?

- Because I want these men shot.

- But for what are these men to be shot?

- For conspiracy to subvert our revolution.

- But they were acting under our instructions.

- Does that excuse them?

Has Reilly been executed yet?

- Not to my knowledge.

- Tell Felix to see to it.

Or I shall.

[rumbling]

[ringing]

- [Pepita] Come in, Commander, please.

- Where's George?

- He telephoned to say he was delayed.

- He distinctly told me he'd be here.

Why the hell did you do it?

- Isn't he even entitled to an obituary?

- You knew the publicity would follow.

Look at it, speculation hasn't stopped

for the past two weeks.

And what good has come of it?

- Well, you've agreed to meet me.

That's a start.

And a number of members of parliament

have telephoned me.

They're very interested in Sidney's predicament.

What I want to know

is why Sidney went into Russia,

why you think he hasn't returned,

and why you seemed to have done nothing to get him out.

- You really think that?

- What else am I to think?

- Your husband was invited to Moscow by the Trust.

They were desperate to have his approval

of their operations.

Otherwise, there would have been

no further funds forthcoming

from the West who financed them.

I admit, I wanted him to go.

I hoped he would come back with information

confirming our suspicions,

and my view was that he could do that

in two or three days without any true risk.

However.

It was George's suspicion and is now my opinion

that Sidney went to Moscow determined

to expose the Trust by deliberately

getting himself arrested.

He planned it that way.

His marriage to you lulled both

us and the Bolsheviks into a false sense of security.

He was determined to avenge his friend, Boris Savinkov.

He has always used those close to him quite ruthlessly.

Only this time, I fear he will

pay for it with his life.

You see, he has inflicted a major defeat on Dzerzhinsky.

The Trust has been shut down overnight

without any explanation.

All over the world, there are Russian agents

left without money, without instructions.

And we are simply picking them off like flies.

They are not likely to forgive him for that.

Now you must believe

I am doing everything I can to get him back.

But I must ask you to desist

from any further sorters into the field of public relations.

Your marriage to Sidney was bigamous.

- What?

- The marriage was bigamous.

- You came to our wedding.

You toasted our health.

- I did, what else could I do?

You asked, if I remembered correctly,

whether I would give you away.

And I replied that I have never given anything away.

- Until now.

[clanking]

[knocking]

- Come in.

[clanking]

So you see.

They have abandoned you.

- Shilling please, love.

- Thanks so much, mate. - For sure, love.

[muffled chatting]

- I shall miss these when I have to return to Russia.

- I dare say.

Your friend Reilly returned to Russia

on the 26th of September.

He's not been heard of since.

I want you to use your contacts, Krassin.

I want to know whether he is alive,

and if he is, where he's being held

and who is holding him.

- There was a statement about a skirmish

on the Finnish border.

- I want to know what's happened to him.

- You know what's happened to him.

He's disappeared.

- I want to know whether he has defected.

It's a matter of honor.

- When people like you talk about honor,

I look to my neck.

- My dear fellow, you would be well advised to do so.

Your business in this country

borders on the fraudulent.

Thousands of pounds passing through untaxed.

- All right, all right.

- Tell your comrade Dzerzhinsky of my concern,

and I'm prepared to do anything I can to help.

- Help?

- Stalin is about to turn your country

into an abattoir.

All your friends are being recalled to be shot.

- I fear we are on the edge of an abyss.

- All the more reason for Dzerzhinsky to know

who his friends are.

- The British Secret Service?

- We will help him to get rid of Stalin,

if that's what he wants.

In exchange for Reilly, of course.

Tell him that.

- We won't continue with the protocol this morning.

There are other subjects I wish to discuss with you.

The relationship between the Service

and the West were won.

Perhaps we can start with a fresh opinion of difference.

Who do you know, Captain Reilly?

- Well, I know everybody.

- Everybody?

- Of any consequence, that is.

In the West.

- You know the Prime Minister, Baldwin?

- Yes.

- [Felix] American president?

- Coolidge, yes.

- Would you be in a position

to represent our views if you were so asked?

- Our views?

- Mine.

- Well, I don't know, I'd have to

consider it.

- You're not in a position to consider anything.

- Did you speak to Krassin?

- Yes.

- You think it'll work?

- I don't know.

It's out of our hands now.

- What should I do with Sidney's things?

- Burn them.

- Well I told Pepita I'd let her have a few things back.

- Burn them.

- 5,000 people in the Trust

and Stalin wants them all dead,

every single one of them.

- Save your concern for our--

- Most of those abroad have been arrested

and all those who work for the Trust here

are on this list. - I repeat.

Not one of our men on that list will be sacrificed.

- How can I stop it?

- Put your name back on top.

And put mine above yours.

- Send Felix to see me.

- Very well.

- Tell him I have taken his name off the list.

I have substituted Sidney Reilly's.

Yours can stay on for the present.

[rumbling]

- You feel good?

- Yes, I do.

Those walls were beginning to depress me.

- I know.

I spent seven years in prison.

Mostly in solitary.

When I saw the sky again, I was overjoyed.

- Where are we going?

- Just for a walk.

- I used to come out here, in the old days.

- Mm-hmm.

So did Lenin.

- That was the attraction.

At one point, I was toying with the idea

of having him shot.

So I had every vantage point round here scouted out.

- When was that?

- This was July of 1918.

The Germans had just broken through in France

and I was in Paris to get Russia back into the war.

So my orders were to get rid of Lenin

and replace him with someone who was willing to fight.

However.

You thwarted my plans.

- I hadn't realized how far they'd advanced.

But we did save the revolution.

That's what counts.

- Why did you get me out here?

[honking]

- Excuse me.

[rumbling]

- It's begun.

Over 50 of our men have been arrested by Artuzov.

Stalin's orders, he says.

- When you decide to arrest officers

of the Extraordinary Commission,

you will first inform me.

- [Stalin] But I have, Felix.

I've given you ample warning

of what I intended to do for some--

- You'll rescind the order.

- You know I can't do that.

- I helped put you in this office,

and if necessary, I can see to it

that you are replaced.

- I was right all along.

Those who have served the revolution longest

and made the greatest contribution

are now among its most deadly enemies.

- Rescind the order.

- [Operator] Hello?

Hello?

- Get me Artuzov.

- [Operator] Yes, sir.

- You shall have your policemen, Felix.

But I must have something in return.

I want Reilly shot.

- [Operator] Stalin for Artuzov.

- [Artuzov] Artuzov speaking.

- You can have Reilly.

- Artuzov?

Regarding that list given to you by Trilisser,

you can let him have it back.

For the time being.

Meanwhile, I want you to arrange

for a marksman for first light tomorrow.

Felix will give you the details.

- It'll be an outdoor occasion.

Yes, up in the hills.

No.

Sidney Reilly.

He said he'll do it himself.

- What time is it?

- [Soldier] Four o'clock.

- What's this in honor of?

[rumbling]

Over the white shroud of your body, oh Russia,

the cold winds sing a funeral song.

Do you remember who is to sing that?

- Maria Plevitskaya.

- How does the rest of it go?

- My brother lies dead in the icy ground.

His body hard as the frozen earth.

Soon I in my turn will lie with him.

When the spring comes, remember us both.

[rumbling]

- Who's going to do it?

- Artuzov.

- Is he a good shot?

- He gets plenty of practice.

- Well, let's not keep him waiting.

- One moment.

It's Stalin's wish that you sign this.

- What is it?

- It's an acknowledgement that you've read the word.

- What's the date?

- [Trilisser] The sixth.

- You can get out now.

- Don't get out of the car, Trilisser.

Artuzov might get you instead of me.

- I have no intention of doing so.

- Walk towards the tree.

I leave you now.

♪ When the red, red rose grows

♪ Up, up, up and it'll bloom

[sings quietly]

♪ Get up, get up, get out of here ♪

♪ Wake up

[gunshot]

- Dead.

- Executed.

At Stalin's command.

Dzerzhinsky had hoped to find a use for him but

he was overruled.

That's the message that's come through from Moscow.

I myself am being recalled.

I fear there is some sort of a backlash

concerning anybody who had

dealings with the Trust.

I'm told that a large number of members

have been arrested,

and are rumored to have been shot

after the most cursory of hearings.

In the circumstances-- - I don't believe it.

- My close association with Reilly,

which at times was a great use to my government,

has obviously become something of an embarrassment.

In fact, I do not think this-- - But you have no proof.

- I believe him.

[chiming]

- [Caryll] I wanted to thank you for coming to see me.

- [Pepita] That's all right.

I'm glad I did.

I had no idea you loved him so much.

- He's gone.

- You're sure.

I thought I saw him last night.

I dreamt he came and took away all the pictures.

I thought perhaps he'd made it.

- Well.

In a way,

he has.

[soft music]

[soft jingle]