A German journalist sets out to track down a Nazi war criminal, and discovers the existence of a secret Nazi organization called Odessa. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Rating: PG Release Date: 28-AUG-2001 Media Type: DVD
An overeager German journalist (Jon Voight) discovers a long-buried secret plot beginning to resurface in this moderately compelling, surprisingly straightforward adaptation of a novel by conspiracy whiz Fredrick (Day of the Jackal) Forsythe. Although this somewhat pokey suspenser never quite flows the way a classic espionage thriller should, it does offer a number of compelling diversions along the way, including a blessedly nonhammy (and impressively accented) performance by Voight, Derek Jacobi's amusingly Freudian supporting turn, and a tremendously physical hand-to-hand confrontation in a print shop that leaves no pane of glass intact. Maximillian Schell's scenery-chewing, deliciously evil cameo almost makes this worth the watch by itself. Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the garishly florid (yet somehow effective) score. --Andrew Wright
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Thoughtful and Entertaining, Worth a Look:
"The Odessa File" (1974) is a British-made thriller, based on a book of the same name by Sir Frederick Forsyth (The Odessa File), that gives us a good picture of life in that macho muscular port city of Hamburg, Germany, a decade earlier. It opens on November 22, 1963, as the assassination and death of American President John F. Kennedy come in over the radio, in between the playing of a catchy Christmas song: "Christmas Dream," sung by Perry Como, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who did the film's score.... more info
Almost Great:
Everyone always says the book was better. In this case, I'd say that it's true in a relative sense as well. It's a good movie based on a great book. I was disappointed the first time I saw the movie. I like John Voight...and the basic story is true to the book, but it's just not as tense. The book sells the plot twists much better than the movie. You really get hit with a canoe paddle reading the book...with the movie it's just too linear. A factor of time constraints I guess...maybe it would have been a... more info
the odessa file:
sadly we are unable to play the dvd's recd as they are for a differnet region than our dvd player, so basically a complete waste of money
Appalling:
This film is an adaptation of Forsyth's novel. Whatever be the merits of the novel this is a terrible film. It is badly acted, with characters who sound wooden, unconvincing, and shrill. The movie goes out of its way to offer a portrayal of the Shoah that in its stridency ends up actually being graceless, the Nazis as "plain stereotypical evil". It does not make for interesting watching but apart from that those who are portrayed, those who died, deserve a more probing, thoughtful and serious effort.... more info
