Essential Cinema - 2

The Night of the Generals

ACTORS
Peter O'Toole
Omar Sharif
Tom Courtenay
Donald Pleasence
Joanna Petite
Charles Gray
Christopher Plummer

DIRECTOR
Anatole Litvak

SCREENPLAY
Joseph Kessel and Paul Dehn

CINEMATOGRAPHER
Henri Decae


SYNOPSIS:
The murder of a polish prostitute in WWII Warsaw is traced to one of three Nazi Generals. A Nazi Intelligence Officer takes it upon himself to determine who the killer is.


CONCEPT IN RELATION TO THE VIEWER:
There is something sexual and masochistic about Nazi regalia and the totalitarian aspect of Nazi occupation. As if a perverse and sadistic veil has fallen over society. These are Nazi Generals as tragic Shakespearean figures, caught in a web of power and deceit. This is war at the Board Room level, not in the trenches. Ego and power are at odds here, not tanks and planes. The major characters are all stereo types, the timid alcoholic, the anal retentive - closet homosexual, the manipulating power usurper, the truth seeking subordinate. This story could be placed in any setting where men wield great power, have no oversight and are burdened with dark unknowable secrets.


PROS AND CONS
There is something about Peter O'Toole playing a mad Nazi general that is fascinating, and he does it pretty well. The cinematography is better than you would expect when viewed in its wide screen format. The plot does not have any confusing or misleading twists or turns and you can figure out the ending about 2/3 of the way through the film.

I am a stickler for accuracy in historic period pieces and this film does not get high marks in that regard. The vehicles are often times incorrect for the time, and none of the German officers even speak with a German accent, much less actually speak German. And it was a stretch to believe Omar Sharif as a German officer. But most of this can be overlooked by the fact that most of the players are first rate actors, and can pull off just about anything on film. Speaking of stretch, this film is over 2 hours long and probably could have benefited from a bit of editing. Overall an interesting work on the concept of power and secrets and how one can mask the other.