The Assassination of Trotsky (1972)

Director:

Joseph Losey

Writer:

Nicholas Mosley (writer)

Release Date:

20 April 1972 (Italy)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Thriller

Tagline:

For one moment, they hold history in their hands. With one terrible blow, they make it

Plot:

After having been forced to leave the Soviet Union 1929 Trotsky has ended up in Mexico 1940. He is still busy with the politics...

Plot Keywords:

Communist | Politics | Mexico | Assassin | Exile

Cast

Richard Burton	...	Leon Trotsky
Alain Delon	...	Frank Jackson
Romy Schneider	...	Gita Samuels
Valentina Cortese	...	Natalia Sedowa Trotsky
Enrico Maria Salerno	...	Salazar
Luigi Vannucchi	...	Ruiz
Duilio Del Prete	...	Felipe
Jean Desailly	...	Alfred Rosmer
Simone Valère	...	Marguerite Rosmer
Carlos Miranda	...	Sheldon Harte
Peter Chatel	...	Otto
Michael Forest	...	Jim (as Mike Forrest)
Marco Lucantoni	...	Seva Trotsky - Trotsky's nephew
Claudio Brook	...	Roberto
Jack Betts	...	Lou (as Hunt Powers)

Also Known As:

L'assassinat de Trotsky (France)
L'assassinio di Trotsky (Italy)
Life of Leon Trotsky (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

103 min | Australia:106 min

Country:

Italy | France | UK

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Italy

Company:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica

Trivia:

Joseph Losey originally offered the part of Leon Trotsky to Dirk Bogarde, with whom he had made five other films. Losey admitted that the script was terrible, but told Bogarde that it would be revised. Bogarde turned the role down, embittering Losey, who felt that Bogarde didn't trust him. Richard Burton, who had worked with Losey on _Boom! (1968)_ did trust Losey enough to take the part, even though he was shown the same script.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: A character passes a wall with a graffiti-image of Woody Woodpecker. The first appearance of Woody Woodpecker was in the cartoon "Knock Knock" which was released 25th of November 1940, two months after Trotski was assassinated.

Quotes:

Gita Samuels: You're in a fine state! God, has someone cut your tongue off? Why do you get like this? Is it the altitude you're in- or is it something you've eaten?

"Whatever happened to Leon Trotsky?..."

Remember that opening line from The Stranglers' great song from the late-70s, 'No More Heroes'? Well this film provides us with a precise answer to that question, rather than the song's own rather flippant retort ("He got an ice-pick that made his ears burn"). 'The Assassination of Trotsky' is a fascinating story and one that deserves telling. At first Richard Burton seems a bit one-dimensional but as the film develops his performance evolves to reveal the revolutionary's personal charisma, his considerable intelligence, and his devotion to Marxism and his beloved wife. Alain Delon is simply riveting as the emotionally retarded Jacson - ultimately revealing him to be a pathetic individual, and Romy Schneider is brilliantly passionate in her role as Jacson's lover and Trotsky's devoted secretary. Although flawed in parts (with a script that was clearly chopped by the studios), this is an intense, realistic examination of Trotsky's last few months, with a quite stunning murder, where Losey puts the viewer in Jacson's shoes to devastating effect. A genuinely chilling moment in very fine, though admittedly patchy, film.