What strikes me are the parallels drawn between secret agency and stardom in this film. The irony of having two of Europe's most celebrated modern actors living the roles of ever-pursued spies; constantly aware of watching eyes, never certain of complete privacy, never comfortable, always chased and forever chasing, makes the actors' reaction to their lives as agents all the more personal. Furthermore the viewer, although perhaps subconsciously, is better able to identify with these parallels than with the sentiments of the characters themselves; celebrities are in our public-eye whereas true agents remain hidden and undercover.
It is the truth bared in this film about human emotion that proves its success. The stagnancy of moments in waiting, the abuse of others to further your game, the love undermined by private affairs and physical relations... Schoendoerffer's shocking scenes such as Bellucci's drugging of the two small children in her care and of a mother she comforts, tinge the typical unblemished movie-spy personality with crimson reality. Instead of blindly sympathising with the film's heroes, the viewer must think and feel beyond the typical thriller/action movie requirements in order to appreciate the characters, their situations and the film itself.
It is the truth bared in this film about human emotion that proves its success. The stagnancy of moments in waiting, the abuse of others to further your game, the love undermined by private affairs and physical relations... Schoendoerffer's shocking scenes such as Bellucci's drugging of the two small children in her care and of a mother she comforts, tinge the typical unblemished movie-spy personality with crimson reality. Instead of blindly sympathising with the film's heroes, the viewer must think and feel beyond the typical thriller/action movie requirements in order to appreciate the characters, their situations and the film itself.