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German Spy Peril, The (1914)
 

BFI

Main image of German Spy Peril, The (1914)
 
35mm, black and white, silent, 1160 feet
 
DirectorBert Haldane
Production CompanyBarker Motion Photography

A rejected volunteer foils a German plot to blow up Parliament.

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Once World War I had been declared, the gloves were off; the challengers to Britain's power, previously unidentified in films, were now named outright, as in the title of this film, and in Huns of the North Sea (1914) and The Kaiser's Spies (1914).

The German Spy Peril is an inspired piece of propaganda, drawing parallels with the gunpowder plot and referencing the surge in patriotic enlistment to the armed forces. Reviews at the time called it "[a] most exciting and thoroughly topical subject". The hero of the film tries to enlist in the army but, due to ill-health, is rejected. Overhearing German spies planning to blow up the Houses of Parliament, he determines to prevent them, crying "We will die together, you German dogs, for my King and my country's sake." Shots of Big Ben counting down the minutes and standing after the explosion add authenticity and a sense of dramatic tension.

Simon Baker

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Video Clips
Complete film (7:08)
GALLERY / SCRIPTS / AUDIO
SEE ALSO
Haldane, Bert (c. 1871-1937)
Early Spy Films