Product Details

• Actors: Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif, Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence, Joanna Pettet
• Directors: Anatole Litvak
• Writers: Hans Hellmut Kirst, James Hadley Chase, Joseph Kessel, Paul Dehn
• Producers: Anatole Litvak, Sam Spiegel
• Format: Color, HiFi Sound, NTSC
• Language: English, French, Italian, Spanish
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• VHS Release Date: August 6, 1996
• Run Time: 148 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6303451535
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #9,005 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Long (148 minutes) military mystery set among the high command of Nazi Germany in occupied Poland and elsewhere in the Third Reich. A prostitute in wartime Warsaw has been brutally murdered and a German military investigator narrows his field of suspects to three German generals. But the war--and the sense of preening Prussian arrogance--interferes with his investigation, even as he begins to home in on the killer. Moodily sinister atmosphere and a strong cast (Peter O'Toole, Tom Courtenay, Omar Sharif, Christopher Plummer) can't overcome a plodding pace and a tendency to digress. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From a viewer in Pennsylvania who likes dialogue in films., June 19, 1999

By A Customer

The object of any murder mystery is to keep the viewer or reader in suspense. The Night of the Generals succeeds. When I saw this film in the mid-sixties, I was spellbound. Yes, I was distracted with subplots and a film with a somewhat sluggish pace. But shouldn't a murder mystery work at distracting and confusing the viewer? When the murderer is finally revealed, you will feel rewarded at the final outcome. Although I enjoy Omar Sharif's acting abilities, I think someone else could have been better suited for his role as the investigator. Sadly, no one has bothered to complement Maurice Jarre for a brilliant score. His macabre waltz which is played throughout the film is chilling. View this film with the lights off and the receiver off the hook.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fine story, well acted, despite some B-movie elements, October 18, 2002

By	Cesar Cruz (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have been recommending "The Night of the Generals" to friends for years. Although strictly speaking it is a murder mystery, it contains so many other elements that make this a very entertaining movie.

Take away all of the successful surface elements - the amazing cast, the historical backdrop, the many tensions of flawed leaders at war, etc. - and you still have a story that has a lot of important things to say. Every character is magnificent as they try to wrangle with murder, war, justice, love, fear, heroism, brutality, family, and other matters. This seems like a lot - and it is - but the acting and the script combine to make it work.

What tends to turn people off is that admittedly the large infusion of supporting characters and subplots can make this film a little confusing and strange. Peter O'Toole's character in particular is as cold and stiff as a corpse in a Russian winter. Omar Sharif's passion for solving the crime is at times over the top. But it is precisely each strong personality that makes each character compelling and vulnerable. The other perceived drawback is that 1960s WWII dramas tend to be somewhat campy. There are parts with very poor dubbing (from primarily the foreign extras). Also, the fact that most of the characters - including nearly every Nazi - have British accents has always made me laugh. One just has to get past those oddities and pay attention to the script/story.

Probably the best compliment is that it simply doesn't matter if you know who the murderer is. All of the other intrigue still makes this a fantastic movie.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great espionage and murder mystery film., July 18, 2000

By	Eric Finkelstein (King Of Prussia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

I think that this film is one of the best World War II films ever made. It was the first film to show how Hitler's generals were opposed to him and his conduct of the war and how they conspired to eliminate him. I don't think that the film was depressing, lifeless or weak at all. The performances by the actors in the film were effective and convincing. It was a really great film. I hope that this film will also be released on DVD.