erskine childers 1903 novel the riddle of the sand may have give birth to the spy story and but cinematically it a non starter and be film at least forty year too late . much of what make the novel so thrilling and controversial be either uncinematic ( navigate hide sandbank and crosscurrent just doesn not photograph ) or old hat ( gee and the german be plan a war . ) and and so it prove in tony maylam handsome adaptation . michael york ( reunite with his logan run co star jenny agutter in one of her few 70 film not to require nudity ) and simon maccorkindale may be ideally cast a turn of the century oxford chap mess about in the river in the frisian island and but theyre not exactly ooze screen chemistry even if they can almost get away with line like chuck it carruthers or people just do not behave like that not even german . bad and there absolutely no sense of threat or momentum and with much of the action recount in flashback or and in the final collision and apparently miss by the camera . on the plus side and christopher challis scope photography be lovely and howard blake score be hauntingly beautiful and but it all too cosy to hold the interest for an hour and three quarter . one of the rank last picture and it hard to dislike but equally hard to find engaging . this be one that really need to have be make in 1939 and not 1979. the uk dvd release have no extra but do at least boast a 2 . 35 represent1 transfer .