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I read Jack Higgin' novel before watching the movie and thoroughly enjoyed this presentation. The character of Liam Devlin, a tough Irish nationalist, (played beautifully here by a 'young' Donald Sutherland), was one Higgins re-used effectively in a few novels.
In this story, a mission to kidnap Winston Churchill is hatched by the German High Command. The specific plot, a pipe dream of Himmler and Hitler, is concocted by Col. Radl, played skilfully by Robert Duvall, as always. He recruits a team of crack German commandos led by Michael Caine's Kurt Steiner. He and his team have fallen into disfavour, explaining why they accept such a wild, suicide venture.
Nonetheless, Radl plants Devlin in Northern England in the fictional town of Studley Constable, where a disillusioned female Boer descendant has indicated the PM will arrive for dinner, cigars and brandy. Intelligence? Check. Team of Kidnappers disguised as Polish Nationals? Check. Means of escape I.e. a Brit- looking patrol boat? Check. What could go wrong?
Superb performances by a great cast. Just one change from the book that may cheer you up: Steiner & his men are condemned because they interfere with an S.S. operation to load Jewish captives onto a train headed to a Death Camp. The Jewish girl they load onto a different train gets shot anyway-in the book, she gets away Scot-free! Ponder that as you see how this one finally turns out.
score 8/10
thegulls1 7 June 2018
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4194166/ |
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7-6-2020 11:12:10