Sadly, I can not join in with the chorus of those who rhapsodize over the many merits of "Night of the Generals." It isn't that I don't want to - I would love to. You have a uniformly excellent cast (Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasance, Charles Gray, Coral Browne and many others) doing some very fine acting, solid if not inspiring direction, brilliant cinematography and a music score by Maurice Jarre that almost atones for the blood-congealing treacle that was his earlier "Dr. Zhivago." Unfortunately you also have from my perspective a tome that loses focus once the story shifts from Warsaw to Paris.
I won't waste time with a story synopsis as other posters have already done that most brilliantly. Instead, I will move on to some of the thoughts with which the film left me.
What is the value of one human life? Does it matter whose human life we are talking about - trained soldiers - freedom fighters - nationalists - innocents caught up in the cross-fire - prostitutes! Can killing of any sort ever be justified? If so, how? If not, what about 'the greater good' question?
In one form or another, "Night of the Generals" poses all of the above questions - and a good deal more. But regretfully, the impact upon us of those very pertinent questions is diminished by a screenplay that gets bogged down, indeed becomes obsessed with the character study of one man. And further adding to the lessening of what I trust was the intended emotional impact of this film is the setting up of the investigating officer as a heroic white knight, galloping along on his white charger, pointing his lance and singing 'stronger than dirt.' Sorry folks, but it just doesn't wash!
To conclude, a previous poster suggested a series of 'what if' questions one can see as encircling this picture. Absolutely - with each question being perfectly valid. However for me, one question got left out, namely, 'What if each of the three story lines in this film had been more economically presented through some very necessary (albeit judicious) editing? What if then?'
I won't waste time with a story synopsis as other posters have already done that most brilliantly. Instead, I will move on to some of the thoughts with which the film left me.
What is the value of one human life? Does it matter whose human life we are talking about - trained soldiers - freedom fighters - nationalists - innocents caught up in the cross-fire - prostitutes! Can killing of any sort ever be justified? If so, how? If not, what about 'the greater good' question?
In one form or another, "Night of the Generals" poses all of the above questions - and a good deal more. But regretfully, the impact upon us of those very pertinent questions is diminished by a screenplay that gets bogged down, indeed becomes obsessed with the character study of one man. And further adding to the lessening of what I trust was the intended emotional impact of this film is the setting up of the investigating officer as a heroic white knight, galloping along on his white charger, pointing his lance and singing 'stronger than dirt.' Sorry folks, but it just doesn't wash!
To conclude, a previous poster suggested a series of 'what if' questions one can see as encircling this picture. Absolutely - with each question being perfectly valid. However for me, one question got left out, namely, 'What if each of the three story lines in this film had been more economically presented through some very necessary (albeit judicious) editing? What if then?'