The Man Who Never Was

6/10
Released in 1956, this film tells the true story of a plot by British Naval Intelligence to plant a body with false documents off the coast of Portugal in order to divert German military resources from Sicily to Greece. It shows an intelligence service in its infancy, still coming to grips with the basic rules of espionage and counter-espionage. However, the film-making itself comes across as dated as well, with a completely overdone score and an awkward taboo against showing the corpse itself. Like most other films of the era, the actors apparently didn't realize that they were on a sound-stage, not in a theater.

That said, the film offered an interesting window into London during the blitz (plenty of air raid sirens) and fleshed out an oft-overlooked segment of the war effort that saved many thousands of lives. Worth a watch if you're into low-key procedural spy stories. Family-friendly to the point of soporificity.