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List Price: $39.95Amazon.com's Price: $29.99 You Save: $9.96 (25%)as of 11/22/2009 18:59 EST
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Binding: DVD
Brand: A&E
EAN: 9780767077729
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, NTSC
ISBN: 0767077725
Label: A&E Home Video
Languages: EnglishOriginal LanguageDolby Digital 2.0 StereoEnglishSubtitled
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
MPN: AAED71748D
Number Of Items: 4
Publisher: A&E Home Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: February 22, 2005
Running Time: 630 minutes
Studio: A&E Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: 1983
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Studio: A&e Home Video Release Date: 02/22/2005 Run time: 630 minutes
Amazon.com:
Reilly: Ace of Spies is a thrilling dramatization of the fantastic life and exploits of Sidney Reilly, arguably the first modern secret agent and a complex, often unfathomable individual who invented his very name and identity. Sam Neill has never been better as the former Sigmund Rosenblum, an Odessa-born Jew who becomes a freelance spy for the British at the dawn of the 20th century. Calculating, ruthless, and more certain of his own counsel than the wisdom of his superiors, Reilly (he changes his name by the end of the first episode, "An Affair with a Married Woman," to obscure his personal history) can't help but remind one of a particularly determined James Bond. Reilly's reputation as a womanizer--not entirely deserved, but then none of his associates can quite figure out his thriving love life--adds to this historical figure's Bondian mystique.
In other respects, Reilly's version of espionage is far more complicated, and has greater historical repercussions, than that of Fleming's superspy. The first half of the 12 episodes in this set concern Reilly's daring work ascertaining and even securing the West's access to Middle East oil and, looking ahead to Russia's possible rise as a major power, determine the extent of that country's oil reserves. At the same time, Reilly always has one eye trained on ethically ambiguous opportunities to accrue wealth or play one friendly interest against another. The oil mission leads him from virtual house arrest in the foothills of the Caucuses (where Reilly sleeps with the young wife of an aging preacher as cover for his escape, leaves her to be arrested, then later marries her) to Port Arthur in China (where he clears the way for British allies the Japanese to invade) to France (where Reilly competes with the Rothschilds over Persian Oil concessions). The latter episodes focus on Reilly's extraordinary attempt to overthrow the Bolsheviks following the Russian revolution, barely escaping St. Petersburg after a botched attempt to assassinate Lenin and later risking his life by returning and advocating the killing of Stalin. Throughout this ever-changing drama, the series' writing is a marvel of historical fact and intriguing speculation about Reilly's whereabouts, exploits, and private passions. The supporting cast is superb, including David Burke as Stalin and Tom Bell as Russia's secret police chief Dzerzhinsky. The series was co-directed by Martin Campbell, who took on Pierce Brosnan's first assignment as 007, GoldenEye. --Tom Keogh
Average Rating: 
Rating:  -
I saw this program many years ago on Public TV. It fascinated me because I'm a big James Bond fan and this is the story of the man where Ian Fleming got his ideas for his books. It's a true story and the acting is superb. I recommend it highly. The music is also wonderful.
Rating: -
Based on the real-life experiences of Sidney Reilly, a spy who worked for the British Secret Service at the beginning of the 20th Century, this is a look at real espionage at its best. Reilly operated in Hamburg, Port Arthur, the Caucasus, St. Petersburg and Moscow and had many adventures in the service. Of course, his activities prior to 1918 pale when compared to his role in an attempt to overthrow the Bolshevik government. Had it been successful Reilly would have ended up as the ruler of Russia ... Read More
Rating:  -
I agree with eveyone about this series. It is simply one of the greatest ever put on television. When it originally broadcast 25 years ago it was met with immense critical acclaim. It made Sam Neill an overnight star. I remember watching Vincent Price do a wonderful job as narrator between episodes each week setting the stage for each successive program.
To watch Reilly start his career as a down and out novice living in a cheap flop house, to being on first name basis with the most powerful ... Read More
Rating:  -
Although this series in and of itself is absolutely wonderful, and fascinating, my mother and I have discovered a problem with the DVD set. This will not be an issue for many, but there are others (like my mother) that it will. Within the last 2 years my mother has lost most of her hearing. She has a VHS set of this program, and it is well worn, but it still would have been fine. There was, however, no Closed Captioning capability on the VHS tapes. Thus we ordered the relatively new DVD set. Unfortunately, ... Read More
Rating: -
Very good espionage spy thriller. I completely enjoyed series and would recommend this to anyone who likes spy and espionage movies.
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Binding: DVD
Brand: A&E
EAN: 9780767077729
Format: Box set, Color, Dolby, NTSC
ISBN: 0767077725
Label: A&E Home Video
Languages:
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
MPN: AAED71748D
Number Of Items: 4
Publisher: A&E Home Video
Region Code: 1
Release Date: February 22, 2005
Running Time: 630 minutes
Studio: A&E Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: 1983