Last Embrace (1979)

Harry breaks down and loses his job after his wife is assassinated - could it be his turn next ?

Director:

Jonathan Demme

Writers:

Murray Teigh Bloom (novel), David Shaber (screenplay)

Stars:

Roy Scheider, Janet Margolin, John Glover

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roy Scheider	...	Harry Hannan
Janet Margolin	...	Ellie Fabian
John Glover	...	Richard Peabody
Sam Levene	...	Sam Urdell
Charles Napier	...	Dave Quittle
Christopher Walken	...	Eckart
Jacqueline Brookes	...	Dr. Coopersmith
David Margulies	...	Rabbi Josh Drexel
Andrew Duncan	...	Bernie Meckler
Marcia Rodd	...	Adrian
Gary Goetzman	...	Tour Guide (as Gary Getzman)
Lou Gilbert	...	Rabbi Jacobs
Mandy Patinkin	...	First Commuter
Max Wright	...	Second Commuter
Sandy McLeod	...	Dorothy Hannan

Storyline

When his wife is killed in a restaurant shoot-out, intelligence man Harry Hannan (Roy Scheider) has a breakdown and finds that his department doesn't want him back. Someone's trying to kill him and it could be them, though a cryptic Jewish death-threat suggests there's something else going on. His only ally seems to be mousy Ellie Fabian (Janet Margolin) who has managed to move into his New York apartment.

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Plot Keywords:

neo noir | new york city | handheld camera | woman in shower | shootout | 

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Taglines:

It was his toughest case - and it could kill him! [Australia Video]

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Genres:

Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 May 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Det sjette offer

Filming Locations:

Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Taylor-Wigutow Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The real-life location where the film's Hitchcockian vertiginous grand finale too place was Niagara Falls.

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Goofs

In the scene in the synagogue, Harry appears to be going through a register book when he finds his grandfather's name. Actually, he's reading a tractate of the Talmud, which is entirely in Aramaica and Hebrew - and he's holding it upside down.

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Quotes

Sam Urdell: [to Harry when part of the old facade of the building is crow-barred off] This was the prime whorehouse of the East Side. A moment of reverence, please: fifty years ago, this was the very place I lost my cherry.

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Connections

References Saboteur (1942)

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Soundtracks

The Forties
Music by Miklós Rózsa
Arranged by Joe Reisman

User Reviews

Good Effort, but Still Just a Poor Man's Hitchcock

6 out of 10

A mysterious man, who works for a mysterious organization, is being chased by some mysterious killers, for some unknown and mysterious reason. Has all the trappings of a bubblegum thriller and when you scrape away all the flashiness that is really all you get.

Not that it isn't entertaining. The camera movements and angles are downright dazzling. I especially liked those frantic zoom shots that look like it's shot from a camera put on a roller coaster car. There is also some interesting use of lighting and framing. Not to mention some terrific on location shooting especially the Niagara Falls finale. The story is very fast paced with a new twist coming with literally every scene. There is also a wide assortment of other gimmicks used that on a non-think level can be fun, especially during the first hour. The haunting music score is good too although it gets played a bit too much.

The problem really comes with the fact that all these twists and turns really add up to a lot of nothing. Too much is left unexplained and the final revelation seems far-fetched. There is a wide segment of other loopholes and there is just the plain old fact that you have probably seen a lot of this before. It also becomes very cliched and even kind of annoying at the end. The film expects you to become close to characters that on the whole are very poorly fleshed out.

The movie does offer a great opportunity to see Janet Margolin who is a very uniquely and naturally beautiful woman. Even when she is made to look frumpy she is beautiful. She has a face that looks like it never got past 21. She closely resembles 80's porn stars Kelly Nichols or Jennifer Noxt.

Scheider does not fare as well. He looks alright, but his presence is very transparent. He just doesn't seem to have a strong enough personality or acting ability to really create a memorable or forceful impression. Also that white suit he wears all the time has really got to go.

Overall despite it's best efforts it is still just a poor man's Hitchcock. The real thing is still better.