The Night of the Generals

The Night of the Generals
The Night of the Generals

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Anatole Litvak
Produced by Sam Spiegel
Written by Paul Dehn
Joseph Kessel
Gore Vidal (uncredited)
Starring Peter O'Toole
Omar Sharif
Tom Courtenay
Donald Pleasence
Joanna Pettet
Philippe Noiret
Music by Maurice Jarre
Cinematography Henri Decaë
Editing by Alan Osbiston
Studio Horizon Pictures
Filmsonor
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release date(s) 29 January 1967 (London)
2 February (NYC)
24 February (US)
Running time 148 minutes
Country United Kingdom
France
Language English

The Night of the Generals is a 1967 suspense thriller film directed by Anatole Litvak. Set during World War II, the story was adapted from the novel of the same name by Hans Hellmut Kirst.[1] It stars Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence, Joanna Pettet and Philippe Noiret.

The film was produced by Sam Spiegel and, with a musical score by Maurice Jarre. The screenplay was written by Paul Dehn and Joseph Kessel. Gore Vidal also contributed to the screenplay but was uncredited. Much of the film, a British/French co-production, was shot on location in Warsaw, which was exceptionally rare for a major Western film at the height of the Cold War.

Contents

Plot

The murder of a prostitute in Nazi-occupied Warsaw in 1942 draws Abwehr Major Grau (Omar Sharif) into an investigation where the evidence points to the killer being one of three German general officers: General von Seydlitz-Gabler (Charles Gray), General Kahlenberg (Donald Pleasence), his chief of staff, and General Tanz (Peter O'Toole). Grau's investigation is cut short by his summary transfer to Paris at the instigation of these officers.

The case remains closed until all three officers meet in Paris in July 1944. Paris is a hotbed of intrigue, with senior Wehrmacht officers plotting to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Kahlenberg is deeply involved in the plot, while von Seydlitz-Gabler, who is aware of its existence, is sitting on the fence, awaiting the outcome. Tanz, who is unaware of the plot, remains loyal to the Führer.

Tanz's driver Kurt Hartmann (Tom Courtenay) witnesses the aftermath of his commander's butchery of a second prostitute on the night of July 19, 1944. Tanz tells Hartmann to run away; realizing that it would be his word against that of a general, Hartmann takes his advice. When Grau, who is now a Lieutenant Colonel, learns of the murder, committed in the same manner as the first, he resumes his investigation and concludes that Tanz is the killer. However, his timing is unfortunate. On July 20, 1944, the assassination attempt takes place. When Grau accuses Tanz face to face, the general kills the detective and labels him as one of the plot conspirators to cover his tracks.

After the war, the murder of a third prostitute in Hamburg in 1965 draws the attention of Interpol Inspector Morand (Philippe Noiret). Morand owes a debt of gratitude to Grau for not revealing his connection to the French Resistance during the war. Morand confronts Tanz at a reunion dinner for Tanz's former panzer division. When Morand produces Hartmann as his witness, Tanz goes into a vacant room and shoots himself.

Cast

The film includes three cameos appearances by actors portraying historical figures. The first is Christopher Plummer, who makes a brief appearance as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. The second is Harry Andrews, who makes an appearance as General Karl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel, the German Military Governor of Occupied France in 1944. Finally, Gérard Buhr appears as Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, the officer who carried the bomb into Hitler's headquarters in East Prussia on the morning of July 20, 1944.

Cultural impact

On March 29, 1968, The Night of the Generals was screened at several Cinelândia movie theaters in order to protest the murder of 18-year-old high school student Edson Luís de Lima Souto by the Military Police of Rio de Janeiro. Phrases such as "Does bullets kill hunger?", "Old people in power, young people in coffin", and "They killed a student... what if it was your son?" were written by protesters in the movie posters. The aftermath of Edson Luís' death was one of the first major public protests against the Brazilian military dictatorship[2].

References

  1. ^ Variety film review; February 1, 1967, page 6.
  2. ^ (Portuguese) "Brasil 1968: "Mataram um estudante. Podia ser seu filho", Esquerda.Net, May 12, 2008 (originally published in O Globo on March 2, 2008).

External links


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