the novel be easily superior and the best part of the film be direct translation from what greene write while for instance the quiet but grim humour that break into the scene with boyer and lorre and or the murdered child obsession that take over some of the plot . where the film deviate from the novel and it tend to the ludicrous . however i do not want to suggest that the film be bad in any way . it always look the part and the story stay in the mind like a good un . some of the minor character be stock actor who could turn their hand to anything . it a dreadful shame that the film not available on dvd .