Product Details

• Actors: William Hurt, Mary-Louise Parker, David Strathairn, Ron Silver, Hilit Pace
• Directors: Lawrence Schiller
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• VHS Release Date: August 26, 2003
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0000A1HTO
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #57,512 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Here's a different kind of spy: awkward, frosty, supremely intelligent, deeply religious. As brilliantly acted by a perfectly cast William Hurt, this is Robert Hanssen, a respected FBI man who sold information to the Soviets for 20 years. In Norman Mailer's incisive script for this TV movie, Hanssen turns to spying for his own neurotic reasons: to out-earn his domineering father, to show up the FBI bosses who continually pass him over, and maybe to dispel the boredom of the arrogant. A kinky interest in voyeurism and a platonic friendship with a stripper are also part of the mix (which brings in nudity not part of the broadcast version). The stripper is played by the touching Hilit Pace, while Mary Louise Parker is fine as Hanssen's clueless wife. Production values are TV-utilitarian, but Mailer's keen psychological probing and Hurt's unwavering chilliness make Master Spy an absorbing experience. --Robert Horton

Product Description
Journey into the world of high-stakes espionage with the gripping true-life tale of Robert Hanssen, the respected FBI agent who betrayed his family, his religion and his country. William Hurt captivates as the daring traitor who sells America's nuclear secrets to the KGB -- entering into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse that could cost him his life.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Guesswork on a Master Mind, July 27, 2004

By	S. S. Yao "fireballinthesky" (Vancouver Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Master Spy: Robert Hanssen Story (DVD)

This is one of the best real-life story adapted movie I've seen. William Hurt is amazing in portraying the enigmatic Hanssen. His performance saved this film from its lack of depth and exciting plots beneath the obvious. Hanssen's motivation for his betrayals to everyone he loves is never elaborated, despite all the internal dialogues and rationalization. Though awkward at socialing and eerie in outlook, highly intelligent Hanssen made his moves with intention and calculation to understand struggling souls like himself under surreal yet intriguing circumstances. Studying his best friend, a strip dancer and intelligence officers from both camps, in depth and in person, must have given him great joy and revelation on himself, a modern-day Faust trying to figure out meanings of his own bewildering existence while finding a way to salvation. Writer Mailer and Director Schiller had obvious done their homework and interviewed key people related to Hanssen which gave certain degree of reality to the scrip. But I still feel somewhat disappointed about the fragmented profile they demonstrated via this movie. Maybe Norman Mailer is just getting old and therefore relies too much on his insights while ignoring the relevant details which would have enriched the story so much more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a good companion DVD to "Breach", December 3, 2008

By	Thriller fan (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Master Spy: Robert Hanssen Story (DVD)

This is a good companion DVD to "Breach." Whereas "Breach" focuses on how Hanssen was caught, "Master Spy" shows exactly what Hanssen did and suggests some of the reasons why he may have done it.(Unlike "Breach," "Master Spy" was made with the cooperation of some of Hanssen's family members.)The acting is uniformly good and the story gives viewers some interesting insights into Hanssen's possible motivations.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting movie, November 2, 2006

By	Thomas Richard Kennedy "Tom" (Spring Hill, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Master Spy: Robert Hanssen Story (DVD)

Enjoyed this movie very much, especially since it was a true
story, Some parts were hard to believe, but very interesting.