‘The Night of the Generals’
Columbia, 1967

starring: Omar Sharif, Peter O’Toole, Donald Pleasence and Charles Gray
directed by: Anatole Litvak

the plot: The murder of a Polish prostitute in Nazi-occupied Warsaw in 1943 draws the attention of Major Grau (Sharif), a tenacious intelligence officer with a thirst for justice. But the case is quickly complicated when a witness reveals that the murder suspect wore the uniform of a German general. Grau turns his attention to the three generals stationed in the city that night: Tanz (O’Toole), a sadistic, controlling madman; Kahlenberg (Pleasence), a secretive type who could be engaged in treason; and von Seidlitz-Gabler (Gray), a family man too comfortable with his post in Warsaw. All three have something to hide, but Grau doggedly pursues them, following Tanz on a barbaric war exercise that destroys half the city and ambushing Kahlenberg and Gabler at a posh soirée. When the four men find themselves reunited in Paris at the end of the war, another murder occurs, and Grau is back on the case.

why it’s good: Undeservedly obscure, “Generals” is a classic, richly layered character study masquerading as a mystery. The four lead actors turn in stellar performances, particularly O’Toole and Pleasence, both of whom make creepy sadism seem absolutely compelling. Sharif is the film’s backbone, a cool, clever investigator whose zeal could easily make him a sadistic psychotic, if not for his obsession with justice. Sharif also provides a sympathetic anchor to the whole affair—Nazis don’t make for easy good guys, even when they’re hunting a serial killer, but Sharif makes it work all the same. While “Generals” remains compelling throughout, there are some places where it bogs down, particularly a romantic subplot involving Gabler’s rebellious daughter and a doomed lance corporal. The film’s ending also leaves much to be desired, particularly since the credits role more than a half hour after the film’s surprising, satisfying climax. “Generals” is also a goldmine for movie trivia buffs: veteran actor Christopher Plummer has a cameo here as Gen. George Patton’s nemesis Field Marshal Rommel, and both Pleasence and Gray go on to play arch-villain Blofeld in the James Bond films.

why you should own it: WWII film buffs should track down a copy of “Generals” on VHS if they can. There’s no DVD release on the horizon, but Comcast cable subscribers can catch “Generals” for free on Comcast’s “On Demand” service this month.