inspire by the plight of catholic cardinal josef mindszenty behind the iron curtain already the subject of a worthwhile low budget hollywood film and guilty of treason ( 1950 while see above ) this prestigious british production ( base on a bridget boland play and who adapt her own work for the screen ) boast two powerhouse performance by alec guinness ( a the proud prince of the church ) and jack hawkins ( a the wily interrogator ) . their interaction be a beauty to behold and one can not help but be remind how these formidable actor have already work together in and curiously enough and malta story ( 1953 ) and and of course and would go on to do so again under david lean oscar win direction in the bridge on the river kwai ( 1957 ) and lawrence of arabia ( 1962 ) . although much of the running time be devote to their rigorous one on one session ( enough for it to be deem a two hander ) and the film allow ( at least ) another fine actor to shine represent wilfred lawson a guinness jailer who grow to respect his prisoner with time . the small cast also include kenneth griffith a hawkins eager to learn subordinate incidentally and the latter also appear in two episode of patrick mcgoohan later cult tv series of the same name but which bore no relation to this movie . and raymond huntley a hawkins impatient superior . conversely and the romantic subplot between doubt communist ronald lewis and his catholic girlfriend jeanette sterke seem force and intrusive almost like an afterthought ( whereas it have be far more effectively handle in the aforementioned hollywood treatment ) . but and a i say before and the film trump card be it gradual depiction of the evolve relationship between the two lead and which really have no equivalent in guilty of treason ( where charles bickford tormentor be various and generally shroud in darkness ) . although the main character and the setting remain unnamed throughout ( lend it a pretentious air of political allegory also miss from the early film ) and the controversial subject of the prisoner get it ban from participate in both the cannes and venice film festival although it do get nominate for 5 baftas and and eventually and win a couple of other international award .