Enigma is a 1982 Cold War spy film directed by Jeannot Szwarc, from a screenplay by John Briley, starring Martin Sheen, Sam Neill, Brigitte Fossey, Derek Jacobi, Michael Lonsdale, Frank Finlay and Kevin McNally. Based on Michael Barak's 1978 novel Enigma Sacrifice, the film centers on a CIA agent who tries to infiltrate Soviet intelligence in order to stop a murderous plot.
The film was a British and French co-production. It was released in the United Kingdom on October 15, 1982. Enigma received mixed reviews from critics, and was a commercial disappointment.
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Plot
American-born East German dissident Alex Holbeck, living in Paris, hosts a samizdat radio program aimed at Iron Curtain countries. Bodley, a CIA agent, recruits Alex to take on a dangerous assignment. Alex is sent to East Berlin on a mission to steal an Enigma code scrambler. This is part of an attempt to stop the Soviet assassination of five Soviet dissidents planned for Christmas Day. What Alex does not know is that the CIA already has a code scrambler. By stealing the scrambler in Berlin, they are trying to convince the Soviets that they do not have a copy.
On arrival in Berlin, Alex finds that the East German police and KGB knows that he is there. Alex must use numerous disguises and escape from a number of capture attempts. He seeks shelter with his former lover, Karen Reinhardt, before moving on, as it is too dangerous for her. Karen and a number of Alex's other old friends are arrested and tortured by the police in an attempt to gain information about Alex's whereabouts.