Topaz

Synopsis

Based on the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, an American CIA agent hires a French operative named Devereaux (Frederick Stafford) to go to Cuba and investigate rumours of Russian missiles and a NATO spy called Topaz. In Havana, Devereaux's investigation becomes dangerous, in a wake of shaken governments, murder, betrayal and suicide. On return to France he moves into expose the double agent.

Topaz's reception has been mixed. Some critics are extremely damning of it, certainly in comparison with the rest of the Hitchcock canon. There were difficulties surrounding the ending, which had not yet been scripted as filming commenced. Hitchcock's original finale of a duel between Devereaux and Topaz was rejected by preview audiences and replaced with an ending, used in the current version, where Topaz escapes to Russia. At the last minute, even this was cut from the 1969 theatrical release in favour of a shot of a closed door, suggesting Topaz's suicide.