Watch Dark Journey

Dark Journey is a romantic spy drama released in 1937 and directed by Victor Saville. The film features an impressive cast, including Conrad Veidt, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Gardner, and it takes place during the First World War. The movie follows the exploits of Madeleine Goddard, a German spy who falls in love with an undercover British agent.

Madeleine is a successful businesswoman who uses her status to gain access to valuable information needed by the German intelligence service. As the conflict between Germany and Great Britain grows, she is tasked with traveling to Spain to secure a vital military passage that will bolster Germany's position in the war.

Meanwhile, an English agent named Fitzroy, who goes by the cover name "Denis Dimbleby Bagley," is also sent to Spain on a mission to intercept and sabotage the German operations. Madeleine and Fitzroy meet each other accidentally, not realizing each other's true identity. They are immediately drawn to each other, their shared love of the same craft and their mutual respect gradually turning into a genuine emotional bond.

Their feelings for each other only serve to complicate their already perilous and incredibly difficult situations. Madeleine’s lover Baron von Marwitz, a senior Intelligence officer, is jealous of their fondness for each other, causing a rift with Madeleine that threatens to derail their operations. Furthermore, the suspicious Germans, hunt Fitzroy and start to follow Madeleine more closely, making it difficult to complete their respective tasks.

The tension ratchets up when the German spies capture Fitzroy and execute him. Madeleine is also threatened and could be revealed to be a traitor if the Germans discover her association with Fitzroy. The relationship between the two had deepened, making his death a crushing blow to her. Much of the rest of the movie follows Madeleine's own efforts to escape or deliver her mission, even after all that has happened, her passion, and her own bitterness at losing Fitzroy who still linger in her mind and heart, while Baron Von Marwitz remained willing to do what it took for her to reach Munich.

Dark Journey features excellent performances from the lead cast. Vivien Leigh, one of the most memorable actresses of the 1940s, portrays Madeleine with elegance and grace. Conrad Veidt, best known for his role in Casablanca, makes a strong impression as Baron von Marwitz. Gardner's emotional range allows her to create a richly nuanced character in her small role, one that could almost be called a fulcrum for the two other characters. Leigh and Veidt share an electric chemistry that helps drive the story, hitting all the right notes for their characters.

The film's script, by Lajos Biró and Arthur Wimperis, is outstanding, keeping the viewer engaged from start to finish. It deftly balances the story's dramatic and romantic elements, providing the foreground to the WWI espionage that is the movie's focus.

The movie’s location is another aspect of its allure. The setting is rich with angular and geometric shapes that serve to magnify feelings of mistrust and suspicion. The stark, unromanticized images used for the Spanish locale serve to emphasize the dire stakes of the characters' situations, and the sharp angles serve to echo the close quarters of spy work.

The cinematography, done by the Patrick Jackson, is moody and atmospheric, with a noticeable German Expressionist influence. Designer Alfred Junge's (Jung) set work is also notable, reflecting the Art Deco visual cues that were famous in the period while he also worked on the interiors to provide the details and layers that can be used by the actors.

In conclusion, Dark Journey is a compelling film, blending an emotionally charged romantic plotline with the intrigue and danger of international espionage. The acting is excellent throughout, and the script is well-crafted and consistently engaging. The dramatic setting, tense circumstances, and evocative bursts of amorous passion were celebrated at the time of release, and the movie remains an interesting and complex reminder of love amidst war.

Dark Journey is a 1937 thriller with a runtime of 1 hour and 17 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.2.