Customer Reviews

The Assassination Bureau

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Assassination Bureau (1969), directed by Basil Deardon, is a wonderfully funny dark comedy, full of suave, sophisticated characters, lush settings, and wry humor, the kind we just don't see made anymore as it treats its' audience with intelligence and respect while not being too smart for its' own good, as opposed to many comedies of the present that focus on toilet humor, foul language, and just the general need to try and be a gross as possible, dumbing things down as much as possible for the broadest audience. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to be a film snob as I like most all kinds of movies, but I just wish along with what we have, we could also have more films along the lines of this one.

The film stars a very handsome Oliver Reed and the exceptionally beautiful Diana Rigg as Ivan Dragomiloff and Miss Winter, respectively. The story, set in what seems to be early 20th century, begins with Miss Winter desires to gain employment within a newspaper, one own by Lord Bostwick, played by Telly Savalas (Who loves ya, baby?). Her method for getting her foot in the door comes in the form of information she's uncovered about a mysterious international organization of hitmen, secretly called The Assassination Bureau, Limited, that takes commissions to execute people for money. Bostwick agrees to hire her, and in order to get a better handle on the story, she makes contact with the group, with the purpose to commission them to do a killing for her. She meets Ivan, and requests that he be the target. Ivan, who inherited his position and the company from his father, is of the idealistic sort, and sees this as a real opportunity to not only test his organization, but to strengthen the idealistic principles which his father brought forth when he started the bureau, as Ivan feels the current bureau has become to focused on the monetary gains from their lucrative business. He accepts Miss Winter's commission, and presents it to the board, and soon the challenge begins. Ivan must survive against some of the world's most deadly killers, taking them out before they do him in...with Miss Winters in tow, as she follows the story for her newspaper. Will the bureau be successful? Or will Ivan manage to elude his own murder, one which he accepted a commission for himself? I'm not going to tell, but I will say it's worth watching to find out. There's actually a lot more within the plot that I didn't detail, as I didn't want to give too much away for those who haven't seen the film.

As I said, the movie is a lot of fun and very enjoyable. Reed is especially charming and witty, and the chemistry between him and Diana Rigg's character comes through in nearly every scene they appear. Both actors bring a natural sophistication to their characters that just a real treat to watch. The film has the overall feel of a really well done comedy thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep the viewer on his/her feet. The supporting cast did an excellent job, and there seemed to be a strong effort to choose suitable actors to fill out the international cast of characters. While the story was complex, yet easy to follow, some of the relationships between the characters seemed a little light, but this was such a minor nitpick to me, given the films strengths. Also, great attention was given to the look and feel of the scenes and the wardrobe, and also the scenes shot on location, as to convey a sense of the time period during which the film takes place. Speaking of place, the film travels from England throughout Europe, visiting countries like Switzerland, Germany, Italy, to name a few, providing a wonderful, lush, adventurous backdrop to an interesting story. One of the things I really liked about the movie that the story sticks to its' plot, offering little in the way of diversions that only cause the viewer to be removed from the film. The pacing may slow a bit at some points, but it does move along at a comfortable, even pace. While some elements may be predictable, I found overall that the story appeared to original and engaging. The special effects in the film will appear extremely obvious, but given when the film was made, this was about the level one could expect. I would say just go along with it, and appreciate the movie as a whole, and forgo focusing too much on these elements. Also, when is the last time you saw a zeppelin in a movie? Okay, maybe that not so entertaining James Bond flick A View to a Kill (1985), but this film is much better.

The wide screen print provided on this DVD looks exceptional, providing a clear and crisp image that really shows of the vibrant and beautiful colors throughout the film, especially highlighting the finer details of the costuming (I don't usually notice the costuming within a film, unless it's really off base or the film is a presenting a certain period in time. This particular period just happened to include colorful, elaborate, and intricate costumes, which were, at least in my opinion, really well done). There is a noticeable absence of special features, even lacking the customary theatrical trailer, but there are English subtitles available, which I found handy at times as the accents within the film sometimes were a bit thick and not easily understood. I would have enjoyed a little more in the way of special features, but I really can't complain, as the film looks excellent.

Cookieman108

I loved this movie as a boy thirty years ago and approached the video with some fear: would it be as enjoyable as I remembered it? No need to worry. The adult cringed a little at the pan-and-scan print, the crude editing, the overdone '60s shenanigans, and the incessant theme music. But the boy was as happy as ever. "The Assassination Bureau" is clever and witty, and the actors are clearly having a great time. Oliver Reed, normally a bit of a sourpuss, actually performs with humor and style for once. But the movie's greatest asset is Diana Rigg, the first actress I ever had a crush on. Maybe if you're a Baby Boomer like me, she'll always be the one for you. In this movie, as in the great neglected James Bond film "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," she is droll and sexy and somehow very moving, and in both she has a particularly funny rapport with villain Telly Savalas, barely containing her disgust for him. All in all, highly recommended.

1969 was a good year for the inimitable Diana Rigg and the ubiquitous at that time Telly Savalas. They appeared together in the essential James Bond "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and in this little-seen but wonderfully done "Assassination Bureau."
Dame Diana was an icon of the late sixties, having charmed us for three years as Emma Peel in the exquisite AVENGERS TV series. After leaving the series, Rigg appeared in these two movies and also in George C. Scott's "The Hospital" and Vincent Price's "Theater of Blood." Cooly beautiful, unassumedly British and elegant, Diana Rigg became one of our most underappreciated screen presences.
Her buoyant performance as the feminist Sarah Winters in this film is delightful; never has she appeared so coy and kittenish as in this role. The also underappreciated Oliver Reed is dashing as the hero/villain, and of course, Savalas is triumphant as the quinessential villain. Add Curt Jurgens in a delightfully daffy role as a crazy German and you have a delightful drawing room black comedy. The special effects for a late sixties movie are predictably shoddy, but this is like watching one of those delightful Jules Verne movies---it doesn't matter, the cast is so good. Definitely a minor classic.

"The Assassination Bureau (Limited)" is a fine example of a late sixties comedy. Diana Rigg and Oliver Reed are joined by Telly Savalas in this turn-of-the-century romp through Europe.

Reed plays the chairman of a group of hitmen, set up along the same lines as a business concern. Reporter Rigg decides to take out a contract with Reed on the head of his own orginization; namely himself! Undaunted, Reed accepts in order to settle a philosophical debate that has plagued the board of directors. Reed believes in taking contracts only upon those who deserve it; other board members believe the ABL is a tool only for political power and monetary profit. By accepting the contract upon himself, Reed becomes a target for the board and at the same time the other board members become fair game for him!

The film is a bit slow-paced, but with tongue firmly planted in cheek. The film makes a semi-parody of political tensions just before the outbreak of the First World War, as the ABL board (sans Reed) longs to be the power behind the thrones of Europe.

Reed is excellent, as always, and Rigg does a variation of her famous Emma Peel character with pleasing results. Savalas is his usual menacing self, and Curt Jurgens is fun as a crazed German officer and ABL board member. There is also a great zeppelin sequence and zeppelin set, but the early chromakey matting for the special effects is only marginally effective.

Fun, offbeat picture that is worth viewing at least once.

This is one of my four favorite late 60's comedies that I used to make a point of watching for and watching again and again every time they were shown on TV. "The Assassination Bureau" is based on the unfinished Jack London novel, The Assassination Bureau, Ltd. (Twentieth-Century Classics), posthumously completed by Robert L. Fish with the assistance of London's and his wife's notes. London had basically written himself into a corner, which Fish only did a marginal job of extricating the novel from. The movie is MUCH better.

In a subtly altered pre-WWI Europe, would-be journalist Miss Sonya Winter (a cool as a cucumber Diana Rigg) has a plan for how to get a job in her male-dominated chosen field: do a story exposing a secret organization of assassins for hire AND destroy said organization by taking advantage of its policy of guaranteeing that the target will be killed upon presentation of sufficient justification and prepayment of the fee. Newspaper publisher Lord Bostwick (Telly Savalas) agrees to back her plan which is to put out a contract on the chairman of the organization, Ivan Dragomiloff (Oliver Reed at his oiliest). Dragomiloff himself accepts the commission in part because he believes his aging colleagues and friends of his late father the founder have degenerated into amoral killers for the sake of money, effectively challenging them all to a duel.

Doesn't sound like much of a comedy, does it? Yet it is relentlessly, hysterically funny! Diana Rigg's icy coolness is the perfect counterpoint to Oliver Reed's smoldering unctuousness, and Telly Savalas is dead solid perfect. Some of film's finest character actors round out the cast of assassins, including Curd Jurgens as the manic General von Pinck. The dialog is witty and full of understated hilarity, and the verbal sparring between Miss Winter and Dragomiloff is particularly choice as she follows him across Europe to "report on his... whatever happens to him." A frenetic score, gorgeous sets and costumes, unexpected twists and turns during the dash across Europe, and somewhat dated special effects round out the effort. If you've never seen it, you owe yourself at least a rental of this all but forgotten gem.

Note: Though produced from a clear, crisp print, this widescreen DVD is about as bare bones as you can get. No extras of any kind -- just scene selection and English subtitles, which helped me pick up a few things I'd missed due to thick accents despite my multitudinous TV viewings over the years. At this price though, it is worth every penny.

"The Assassination Bureau" has an amusing premise and for the most part executes it ably enough. Oliver Reed stars as the head of a consortium of international assassins who takes on an interesting assignment. Crusading reporter Diana Rigg contracts his organization to kill him. Reed takes up this proposal because he feels that it will enable him to weed out the weaknesses in the organization. Assistant Chairman Telly Savalas has other ideas, however. The film starts off well enough, has kind of a clunky midsection. This portion of the film feels more slapsticky than darkly comic. The film recovers and delivers a slam-bang ending. Oliver Reed is charismatically suave as Ivan, the head of the Bureau. Savalas and Curt Jurgens as a German associate are sublimely villainous. Diana Rigg, however, isn't given much to do as Miss Winters. The high point for her in this film is a scene where she is required to walk around in a bath towel. Not classic comedy but not a bad way to wile away a few hours.

In Science Fiction Fandom this type of tale is called "steampunk", a term derived from "cyberpunk" and not entirely appropreate. Cyberpunk tends to be depressing, while steampunk is usually a romp. "The Wild Wild West" television show was steampunk (so was the movie, but who wants to remember THAT thing?). So were "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", and "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen". Where does "The Assassination Bureau" fit on this list? Well toward the top, of not at the very peak. The story is VERY loosely based on a peculiar short story of the same name by Jack London (lots of period Radical Politics, very little charm, and no Diana Rigg). Taking that as its starting point the film romps through double dealing in Edwardian London, rascality and raids in a period Parisian bordello, skullduggary and poisoning in Venice, the assassination of Benny Hill (in a bit part as a minor Balkan Prince), and ends with a duel and a bang.

Previously available only (so far as I know) on an EP videotape. A widescrean DVD almost HAS to represent an improvement. Is it greedy of me to hope that some commentary (by Rigg, perhaps) will be included? Probably.

In any case; one hell of a romp.

The basic premise of this movie is that there is a secret organization of assassins that are hard at work plying their trade throughout Europe doing what they do best, but the story is soooooo much more than that.

The central characters in this movie are played by Oliver Reed as the leader of the "Assassination Bureau" and Diana Rigg as the nosy reporter who hires Reed to assassinate himself. Telly Savalas plays a dual role of sorts as the owner of a newspaper and, the second in command at the "Assassination Bureau."

Upon accepting Rigg's request, Reed orders the other members of the "Assassination Bureau" to make every conceivable attempt to kill him. For if they don't, he will surely kill them. This makes for some very interesting shenanigans which take place throughout the movie.

Rigg tags along with Reed in an effort to record his exploits and those of the other men (and women) who are attempting to kill him.

This movie is very well done and quite enjoyable to watch. The actors all do a commendable job and work quite well together. I highly recommend that you watch this movie as the satirical humor in it is quite funny.

Shawn Kovacich
Connoisseur of Fine and Not-So-Fine Movies

Totally loved this film. Funny , romantic and very sixties. Not like the book at all, though the main plot is the same.

First class adventure story that doesn't take itself too seriously. Great cast with Oliver Reed, Diana Rigg, and Telly Savalas.