Being a 1970s TV movie, I doubt this movie will garner much interest beyond the level of niche and that is unfortunate, as it is a moving, competently directed production with some fine performances. Taking a quasi-documentary approach to this true story, the film covers its subject matter with as little melodrama as possible, making things come off as more authentic and harrowing.
Alan Arkin is most known as a comedic character actor, but I feel his dramatic work is often underrated. During the 1960s and 1970s, he gave compelling, intense performances in movies like Wait Until Dark, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Catch-22, and The Other Side of Hell. This film features another fine dramatic turn from him. His Simas Kudrika is a likable fellow whose two great values of family and freedom create much of his internal conflict over whether or not to defect. While the audience roots for him, he is shown to be a bit selfish and irresponsible in his decision-making; however, this makes him all the more interesting. Arkin nails the performance and I am especially impressed by his ability to convincingly recite dialogue in another language without coming off like he's reading a cue card out of camera range.
While Arkin leaves the biggest impression, the other actors do great work too, especially Shirley Knight, Donald Pleasance, and Richard Jordon. No one ever comes off as cartoony; even the antagonists feel chillingly authentic.
The direction by David Lowell Rich is competent, never too fancy for its own good. The camerawork, as I mentioned before, makes the film feel like a documentary. My only criticism would be the music is a bit off in some scenes, but the music is used sparingly, so that's all right.
