The Night of the Generals (1967)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Anatole Litvak

Writers:

Joseph Kessel (adapted for the screen by) and
Paul Dehn (adapted for the screen by) ...

Release Date:

24 February 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller | War

Tagline:

A unique manhunt across the capitals of Europe... across three decades up to today!

Plot:

The murder of a prostitute in Nazi occupied Warsaw draws Wehrmacht Major Grau into an investigation...

Plot Keywords:

Warsaw | General | Prostitute | Murder | Paris

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Peter O'Toole	...	General Tanz
Omar Sharif	...	Major Grau
Tom Courtenay	...	Corporal Hartmann
Donald Pleasence	...	General Kahlenberge
Joanna Pettet	...	Ulrike
Philippe Noiret	...	Inspector Morand
Charles Gray	...	General von Seidlitz-Gabler
Coral Browne	...	Eleanore von Seidlitz-Gabler
John Gregson	...	Colonel Sandauer
Nigel Stock	...	Otto
Christopher Plummer	...	Field Marshal Rommel
Juliette Gréco	...	Juliette (as Juliette Greco)
Yves Brainville	...	Liesowski
Sacha Pitoëff	...	Doctor (as Sacha Pitoeff)
Charles Millot	...	Wionczek

Also Known As:

La nuit des généraux (France)
Tank Force (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

148 min

Country:

UK | France

Language:

English | Italian | Spanish | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Norway:16 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | UK:15 | Netherlands:MG6

Filming Locations:

Hamburg, Germany

Company:

Horizon Pictures (II)

Trivia:

In 1967, the same year Night of the Generals was released, Charles Gray and Donald Pleasence both appeared in the James Bond movie You Only Live Twice (1967). In it, Pleasence played Ernst Stavro Blofeld, a role that Grey would later play in Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

Goofs:

Factual errors: General Tanz is portrayed as having commanded the Nibelungen division of the Waffen SS and later attends a reunion with banners/shields saying it was founded in 1940. However, the Nibelungen was formed barely one month before the end of the war in 1945.

Quotes:

Field Marshal Rommel: I am a traitor - a traitor to a madman.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Taxidi sta Kythira (1984)

Soundtrack:

SOBRE LAS OLAS

Not bad at all...

I agree with the above general sentiment that the story strays a bit too much at times, especially with the rather useless bombing of Hitler as a detour. I do however understand why it's there - it's because by attaching the "good" German generals to the plot of killing Hitler, they let the audience not feel bad for rooting for them. Simple trick, but all in all detrimental to the momentum of the story.

The film is brimming with exceptional acting - O'Toole turns in a particularly vicious and strong performance as General Tanz, but everyone holds their own. It's rare to find a villain so distasteful and yet so intriguing - most filmmakers just content themselves with giving the villain an evil shtick without much character development - not so here.

I saw a newly mastered DVD in full 2.35:1 widescreen presentation and the the cinematography by the late Henri Decae is wonderful in all its glory.

Very interesting movie, please see it.