The Odessa File

1974

Action / Drama / Thriller

16
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 64% · 16 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 64% · 5K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.0/10 10 13325 13.3K

suicide assassin based on novel or book nazi espionage war crimes

Plot summary

Following the suicide of an elderly Jewish man, investigative journalist Peter Miller sets out to hunt down an SS Captain and former concentration camp commander. In doing so he discovers that, despite allegations of war crimes, the former commander has become a man of importance in industry in post-war Germany, protected from prosecution by a powerful organisation of former SS members called Odessa.

Director

Ronald Neame Photo
Ronald Neame

Top cast

Maximilian Schell Photo
Maximilian Schell as Eduard Roschmann
Mary Tamm Photo
Mary Tamm as Sigi
Georg Marischka Photo
Georg Marischka as Prosecution Attorney
Peter Jeffrey Photo
Peter Jeffrey as David Porath
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
1.04 GB
1280*544
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
2 hr 10 min
Seeds 4
2.03 GB
1920*816
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
2 hr 10 min
Seeds 16

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by dgrahamwatson 8 / 10

" One nation, one people, one leader!"

Reviewed by ma-cortes 7 / 10

Intriguing and tense movie full of suspense from the beginning to the end

Good and exciting film plenty of tension , action and entertainment . This intelligent picture is packed with historic events , tension , hectic intrigue and the suspense is maintained throughout . The deeds of the movie start in Hamburg, 1963 . An elderly Jewish commits suicide , leaving a newspaper that falls into the hands of an attractive and intrepid journalist named Peter Miller (John Voight). The German Peter goes to a Nazi convention celebrating the ¨Division Siegfried¨ where is detained. After that, he discovers a secret organization named Odessa that may expose some former Nazis and the unthinkable crimes of cruelty , torture and mass murder carried out by the captain of the SS Eduard Roschmann , commandant of the notorious extermination camp in Riga (Latvia). It seems that Roschmann (Maximiliam Schell) survived the defeat of the Nazis, and that lives in some place of South America under a fake identity . Miller starts then a relentless pursuit , decided to meet him . The journalist isn't alone, as he collaborates with the famous Nazis hunter Simon Wiesenthal ; in addition to receive precious aid by the Secret Service agents (Peter Jeffreys) of Israel , the Mossad , that try to avoid some rockets full of biological virus to be taken by Nasser , President of Egypt .Excellent film based on one the first successes of famous novelist Frederick Forsyth , a bestselling author . This stirring picture is full of suspense , tension , thrills and is very entertaining . The film's intrigue snowballs toward an exciting final. Extraordinary casting , all of whom give admirable acting as starring Jon Voight ("Midnight Cowboy") who plays perfectly as dynamic journalist ; brilliant the British Derek Jacobi , the German Klaus Lowitsch , and of course the Maximilian Schell's interpretation who steals the show as haughty Nazi.We see this sensational film not only by its action and intrigue but also by the historical deeds that are well depicted and related to Simon Wiesenthal and concentration camps as Riga and Flossenburg where was executed Admiral Canaris . Even only for that reason the film worthwhile seeing . Spectacular musical score fitting to action by nowadays very famous Andrew Lloyd Weber , including a lively and jolly Christmas song at the main and ending titles . Furthermore , colorful and atmospheric cinematography by classic cameraman Oswald Morris . The motion picture is compellingly directed by Ronald Neame . Ronald's smoothly persuasive direction attracted reception by the public and was a success at the box office . Neame was one of Britain's best cameraman in the 1930s and 40s, working for David Lean, later he turned to direction in 1947 with 'Take my life'. His biggest hits was undoubtedly 'The Poseidon adventure' , 'Scrooge' , Gambit' , 'The prime of Miss Jean Brodie' , and 'Odessa file' . Rating: Splendid and excellent, above average .
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