Talk:The Quiller Memorandum

Nationality

Is Quiller British or American in the film ? -- Beardo (talk) 03:39, 20 April 2010 (UTC) British, but pretends to be American during his investigation. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 88.73.131.156 (talk) 11:44, 13 October 2013 (UTC)

Yours is a clever explanation, but that's not the way I see it. In the first club scene, he is referred to as being "On leave...On vacation." which latter point I take to be a clear sign that his American nationality is being highlighted. If he were just pretending, he surely wouldn't use the American accent with Pol. However, it is clearly incongruous for an American to be working for such an obviously British intelligence agency. PDAWSON3 (talk) 21:18, 6 January 2018 (UTC)

Assumptions

Perhaps based on having read the book, previous writers have tagged the neo-Nazi organization as Phoenix and the British group as SIS. There are also assumptions about who felt what.

I just finished watching the movie, and I don't agree that SIS or Phoenix are clearly enough mentioned in the movie to justify the constant references. Perhaps an article on the book should have such details, but not the film. --Uncle Ed (talk) 15:27, 24 February 2012 (UTC)

Needs tighter Plot Summary and maybe section on Character

Having also just watched the film (and having seen it several times before) I agree with the above point about Phoenix and SIS being overstressed. The plot summary also has some rather loose language in parts, eg. "Quiller refuses to answer Oktober's questions about the SIS operation". Firstly, "refuse" is wrong - he answers willingly but feigns having no knowledge of (nor any interest in) the names and events put to him. Secondly, the plot summary mentions "the SIS" here with no previous reference, leaving one wondering what SIS means? Plus there is no specific "operation" discussed - the questions are about operations generally ("Who is your contact? Where is your HQ?" etc). The summary continues later, "Quiller is horrified to see that Inge has been brought there too." No no no, he is not horrified at all - he remains self-controlled, his face and voice expressing no concern or emotion, and he pretends to remain disinterested in her fate (a pretence echoed in the film's closing scene in the school). The plot summary should also include Quiller's near-final remark, '"We caught them all, by the way... Well, perhaps not all of them..." - the film's clear inference that he now knows Inge was involved with Oktober's organisation, and wishes her to understand that he knows. This is the plot summary's downfall - it describes every little action in the film, but doesn't describe what's really going on at all. It rather omits the big picture entirely. Some element of interpretation is needed in the article too. Compare how Quiller departs at the close, tired and disappointed but not angry like Deighton's Harry Palmer, and not self-fulfilled like Fleming's James Bond. Just quietly walking away, tired and disappointed that Inge remains unchanged in her beliefs. Maybe some explanation of Quiller's character and attitudes could be cited via new sections on "Quiller's character" or "Production and contrast with other spy franchises", similar to sections in The Ipcress File (film). Something like that. Sorry to post at length, but the film is far better than the overall article suggests. Pete Hobbs (talk) 07:21, 2 January 2014 (UTC)