He needed to trust her with his secret. She had to trust him with her life.|Jan. 31, 1992|United States | United Kingdom|132 Min.|R
Genre: Drama;Romance
Description: In 1992, elderly Linda Voss, portrayed by Melanie Griffith, shares her experiences from before and during World War II in an interview with a BBC documentary team. Born to Irish-German Jewish parents in New York City, Linda always dreamed of visiting Berlin to reconnect with her family. In 1940, she applied for a secretarial position at a prominent law firm but was initially rejected for not graduating from an elite women’s college. However, her fluency in German impressed the supervisor, earning her a role as a translator for Ed Leland, a stern attorney played by Michael Douglas.
As Linda works with Ed, she becomes suspicious of his secretive actions and begins to suspect he is a spy. Over time, their professional relationship evolves into a romantic one. When America enters the war after the Pearl Harbor attack, Ed reveals his true identity as an OSS colonel. They relocate to Washington, D.C., but Ed is abruptly reassigned, leaving Linda heartbroken. While working at the War Department, she unexpectedly encounters Ed again at a nightclub, accompanied by a fellow female officer. Despite hesitations, Ed rehires her when the need arises to replace a deceased agent in Berlin.
Recognizing her dedication and language skills, Ed agrees to let Linda undertake the dangerous mission. Her task is to retrieve crucial information about the V-1 flying bomb. They travel to Switzerland, where Ed entrusts her to Konrad Friedrichs, a seasoned spy played by John Gielgud. Friedrichs escorts Linda into Germany, hiding her in his Berlin home and introducing her to his niece, Margrete von Eberstein, a socialite and fellow Allied agent portrayed by Joely Richardson. Together, they navigate the perilous landscape of wartime espionage.
Cast director: David Seltzer
Cast actor: Michael Douglas, Melanie Griffith, Liam Neeson, Joely Richardson, John Gielgud, Hansi Jochmann, Mathieu Carrière, Thomas Kretschmann, Constanze Engelbrecht, Hans Martin Stier
Original name: Shining Through