Spies

Starring:Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Gerda Maurus, Willy Fritsch, Louis Ralph, Craighall Sherry, Lien Deyers, Hertha von Walther, Lupu Pick, Fritz Rasp, Paul HÃ¶rbiger, Julius Falkenstein, Georg John, Grete Berger, Paul Rehkopf, Rosa Valetti, Hans Heinrich von Twardowski, Hermann Vallentin
Director: Fritz Lang
Studio: Kino Video
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

Exciting and entertaining
Intelligent Dialog
Very Well Made
I appreacited the way the movie doesn't provide a pat answer about Hanssen's motivations
To Catch a Spy

Breach (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Chris Cooper , Ryan Phillippe , Laura Linney , Dennis Haysbert , and Gary Cole
Director: Billy Ray
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000OYAT3U
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Customer Reviews:

Exciting and entertaining.......2007-07-04

We rented this movie just to have something to watch over the weekend. It was fantastic. We loved it so much that we watched it again the next day and then went out and bought a copy. Chris Cooper is phenomenal. I highly recommend it.

Intelligent Dialog.......2007-07-03

This movie is an excellent charecter study of two men: the spy and the clerk who help bring him down. The dialogs are intelligent. The whole sting operation to catch Hanssen is good. All the performances are top notch. Cooper potrayed Hanssen very well. Not much real action happens during the movie. The suspense is whether spy Hanssen will figure out the sting before they can catch him in the act.

The movie does not give easy answers to the motivation of Hanssen, which is very good. The man has complexes on top of his complexes. O'Neill's motivations are complex as well. He wants to protect his wife, serve his country, but he has some respect for Hanssen as well. Hanssen has many dark sides, but his wife and his grand kids love him. Hanssen is honestly concerned about O'Neill career and marriage.

I have one small problem. They keep talking about all the technology they are using to catch Hanssen and really, they did not use it to catch him. However, they don't show any whiz bang stuff in the movie. I mean one episode of CSI has more technology exhibited. This is a very small point. Somebody mentions Hanssen mumbles a lot, which thwarts their use of all their monitoring equipment set up in the office.

The movie is thoughtful look into the world of spies. It is very reminscent of the "The Falcon and the Snowman." and is on that level.

Very Well Made.......2007-07-03

While this may not have the glamour of a Bond-esque spy adventure, this will certainly be regarded as an important and possibly classic spy movie. While I wont go into detail about the story line, which is easily found on the back of the cover, I will say it was paced perfectly and didnt drag on with filler and useless B.S. It is true that you kind of know what happens even before you put in the DVD, however the fun with this movie is watching to see how we get there. I gave this only 4 stars simply because I dont regard it as a "perfect" movie, and for the $20 price tag. I rented this for a buck at redbox and although I liked it, it wasnt enough to compell me to "have" to own it.

I appreacited the way the movie doesn't provide a pat answer about Hanssen's motivations.......2007-07-02

While all movies based on historical subjects must fictionalize events and compress timelines, it is how they do so that matters. Do they still tell the underlying truth of the story? Do they distort the substance of the story? Do they dumb it down so much that it transforms the story into something else? If it does any of these things, I tend to dislike it to the extent it does so. While this movie does make up scenes that never happened and puts actions into the hands of people that didn't do them, it still tells the truth of the story quite well for a Hollywood movie. You can read about the reality and the movie at chasingthefrog under their reelfaces link for this movie. It is quite interesting.

The movie is told through the eyes of the FBI operative who was put close to Hanssen and who was very important during the last two months of the investigation that finally caught him. This person is quite real and his name is Eric O'Neill and is played very well by Ryan Phillippe. The focus of the movie is the spy and traitor Robert Hanssen. The performance given here by Chris Cooper is superb and I hope it is recognized when awards are handed out. Chris Cooper is a fantastic actor whose range of characterizations in his many performances is breathtaking. Not only in the type of character, but their ages, in how they look, their intelligence, their moral make-up. He has it all and I enjoy everything I have seen him do.

Hannsen's wife, Bonnie is played very well by Kathleen Quinlan, and it is her devout faith that adds such a contradiction to Hannsen's character and motivation. It would be easy to paint Hannsen as using his religion cynically. However, while he certainly violated the tenets of his faith, it is clear that he holds his faith close, even while engaging in many seriously bad and compromised behaviors (beyond the spying). O'Neill's immediate superior and FBI handler Kate Burroughs and played very well by Laura Linney. She is tough enough to use O'Neill unsympathetically and yet has enough sense to know when she is pushing too hard and when to take a different tact with her inside guy.

I enjoyed this movie very much. It is smart and doesn't cheat by giving us a simple answer to the puzzle. Just as in real life, we do not know Hanssen's true motivations. Even Hanssen may not understand them. We do know he cost real people their lives and compromised the United States in profound ways. He is justly spending 23 hours per day in solitary confinement.

To Catch a Spy.......2007-07-01

Powerful performances by Cooper and Phillippe bring this rather intense film to life. Based on a true story, it offers a glimpse at the behind-the-scenes operation to catch one of the most dangerous spies in recent history.

When Eric O'Neill (Phillippe) is assigned the job of spying on his new boss Robert Hanssen (Cooper), he at first believes that he is digging up the dirt on the man's deviant tendencies, but eventually learns that Hanssen is in fact a spy for the Soviet Union, and later Russia for the last fifteen years.

Cooper is extremely believable as the devout Catholic FBI double agent who is transferred to headquarters on the pretext that he is heading a department to ensure the confidentiality of classified information. O'Neill and Hanssen eventually develop a mutual respect, but when the latter gets up close and personal with O'Neill's personal life, O'Neill finds himself taking the heat both at home and at the office.

Recommended for fans of espionage movies and thrillers, but may be a little slow for action/adventure buffs.

Here's a summary to the tune of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by The Beatles

Picture O'Neill as a mole on a mission
With off the rack suits and nondescript ties
FBI calls him, he answers quite slowly
His role's to go ferret out spies

Surveillance cameras always on the scene
Panning right over his head
Look to the boss for the secrets he hides
But there's none

Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia

Follow him down to a church with a steeple
Where Hanssen communes with deities high
Everyone smiles as he meets with the family
There's no way this guy is a spy

Agent Kate Burroughs appears at the door
Takes him and shows him the way
Goes in the room with his head full of clouds
Now they're gone

Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia

Picture O'Neill with his role in the mission
With downloaded folders from palm pilot files
Suddenly Hanssen suspects that it's over
Gets ready to say his goodbyes

Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia
Hanssen is a spy for Russia

Amanda Richards, July 1, 2007

Average customer rating:

Brilliant low-key film
Get On the Boat, Do Your Job, Get Back Home
A little disappointing
Taut suspense!
Treacherous Treat

Breach (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Chris Cooper , Ryan Phillippe , Laura Linney , Caroline Dhavernas , and Gary Cole
Director: Billy Ray
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000OYAT44
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant low-key film.......2007-06-26

Breach is amazingly excellent, and is a much more complicated film than the trailers for it made it appear. The trailers advertised it as a cat-and-mouse game between an up-and-coming newbie and a diabolically clever and seasoned veteran. Not so. Hanssen in the movie is not vilified as a devious traitor so much as presented as a seriously disturbed individual suffering from a crippling need for attention and recognition. In short, he's a sad, mentally ill individual. Rather than eagerly anticipating the moment of his capture, I found myself actually feeling sorry for him. This humanness made the film much more poignant and effective than it would have been had they played it as a Ludlumesque spy thriller. Cooper, by the way, deserves an Oscar. Phillippe simply should not have been used. One peculiarity that bugged me throughout the film though was that both lead actors sported such copious amounts of makeup that it was easily visible in all of the scenes. Every close up of Phillippe painfully revealed not only that he wore eyeliner, but mascara and lipstick as well. Oh well. One other minor thing that irked me throughout the film was all the stupid stuff thrown in it about lie detection. This was obviously thrown in to up the "intrigue factor," and only ended up resulting in a glaring inconsistency in the film: If Cooper's character can tell when Phillippe's character is lying every single time they play the "lie detection game," then why can't he ever tell when he's lying throughout the rest of the film? Annoying. The obvious answer is that you really can't tell when someone is lying, unless they contradict themselves. Research on polygraphs show that they can't outperform chance, and that neither can trained agents.

Get On the Boat, Do Your Job, Get Back Home .......2007-06-22

"The Robert Hanssen spying case, which broke in early 2001, was -- it is so clear now -- the harbinger of 9/11, a big honking symptom of the entrenched, institutional problems at the FBI that let big clues slip by, clues that might have prevented the horrors of that day. In the annals of disgruntled employees, Robert Hanssen, career FBI agent, is close to the top of the list. He was intel, and, as Hanssen (Chris Cooper) explains to the agent wannabe assigned to work as his assistant, Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillippe), the intel side of the FBI gets no respect. Hanssen is a computer expert, and he's been railing at the Bureau to upgrade its antiquated systems for years -- no one listens, because it's only the guys with guns who are paid any heed, only the guys with guns who get the big promotions. It is the "organizational arrogance" of the FBI, Hanssen assures O'Neill, that has prevented Hanssen from advancing as he deserves to... and, the unspoken undertone is, that prevented the many warnings of 9/11 we've heard about -- field reports from intel agents, for instance --from being given the weight of urgency they deserved. And, oy, don't get Hanssen started on the lack of interagency cooperation between the FBI and the CIA. (We see that lack almost sink the FBI's investigation into Hanssen, too.) " Peter Travers

At one point Eric O'Neill, played so ably by Ryan Philippe becomes so discouraged with his FBI career he goes to his father to discuss whether he should quit. His father tells him the philosophy of his seafaring father, which is an analogy for life. "Get on the boat, do your job, and get back home'. Eric O'Neill is a surveillance-op for the FBI and his goal is to be promoted to a full Agent status. On one day he is called into a meeting with Agent Burroughs, played by Laura Linney. She tells him he is being assigned to the desk of Robert Hanssen, and that Hanssen is suspected of posting explicit sexual content on the Internet. His job will be to watch Hanssen's every move and to report back to Burroughs. Within a short while O'Neill doubts his job, as he has come to respect Hanssen.

O'Neill confronts Burroughs and the real story is told. Hanssen has been feeding top secret information to our enemies for twenty years, and the damage is in the millions of dollars and dozens of lives. Now O'Neill finds himself pitted against one of the finest minds in the FBI. A real cat and mouse game begins.

The drama and suspense in this movie is overwhelming, but so finely tuned that as the story unravels, you begin to feel you are part of the action. This story is partially known as the story begins. However, the story progresses and the finely detailed life of Robert Hanssen is laid bare. The power of the finale is not diminished at all. The ending is ambiguous and we are left to wonder about the man Hanssen. This is a delicious story of the real world of politics and espionage. The real story is that of the relationship that develops between O'Neill and Hanssen. The mind games that are played and built leave us bewitched and bothered. Chris Cooper is phenomenal as Hanssen. One of the better acting roles I have seen this year. Ryan Philippe playing O'Neill is the perfect foil.

Heartily, highly recommended. prisrob 6-22-07

A little disappointing.......2007-06-18

The Robert Hanssen story--that of an Opus Dei (extremely conservative) Catholic making kinky movies of him and his wife and their sexual experiences is by nature titillating. The contradiction between the rabid anti-Communist and his selling secrets to the Soviet Union is intriguing. So my interest in this case had led me to read a lot about it, and to anticipate this film eagerly.

I regret to say I found the film less in line with the depth of the story than I would have liked.

To be perfectly honest, despite how much I admire Chris Cooper's acting, I wondered how he could play Hanssen who he doesn't resemble. Cooper didn't let me down (though, frankly, I don't recall from what I read that Hanssen was as arrogant as the character in the film seemed. But perhaps I don't remember that, or that character was made that way "for dramatic effect.)

There was a little discussion in the script of Hanssen's sexual deviance. There was one line referring to his taste for "a stripper." That's where I felt the film was less accurate than I'd have liked. And I therefore think the film's theme, of Hanssen's overwhelming, conniving brilliance, was inaccurate. Allow me to explain.

The script indicated that Hanssen was so smart that the bureau didn't see through his clever, shrewd planning. In real life, the "stripper" issue was a major issue, not just a script one-liner. Hanssen had a relationship with a dancer at a club I'm familiar with in Washington. More important, my reading indicated that he took her to some FBI event in I think Tokyo, or somewhere in Asia, and the FBI didn't notice. Here's an Opus Dei Catholic travelling with a young woman he's not married to and the bureau didn't notice? So one can infer the bureau's ineptitude rather than Hanssen's brilliance.

Indeed, authors don't know that Hanssen had more than a platonic relationship with the stripper. And I don't recall from what I read that Hanssen was taking movies of him and his wife and their sexual activities. I think he described them in lurid detail on what was ostensibly his web page. And at least one author indicated that he wasn't absolutely sure it was Hanssen's web page. (All right, there was solid evidence that it was--or couldn't have been someone else's--but it wasn't cut and dry). But movie or not, sexual or not, something pretty blatant, something a school kid would have noticed the bureau didn't see. I'm afraid in that sense, the film left the FBI off with much less guilt than I would have.

My spouse was concerned that there wasn't enough discussion of Opus Dei and Hanssen's affliation therewith. Indeed, in one of the deleted scenes, there was a little more said about Hanssen's daughter sleeping on a board, for example. But to me that wasn't something the script needed to dwell on more than it did.

Overall it was a pretty good thriller, the type that keeps you on the edge of your seat despite your knowing what's going to happen. And the bonus material asks some of Hanssen's colleagues why they think Hanssen did what he did. While I won't give away their answers, they seem pretty reasonable. But if you want a more accurate view of what happened, I suggest you read many of the fine books available on the subject.

Taut suspense!.......2007-06-18

Even though viewers know how this film will end, the writing is so good that the suspense builds pretty much constantly throughout the entire film. Acting and production values are excellent as well. The scenes between O'Neill and his wife were, for me, the weakest element; it just didn't ring true to me that he could keep her at such a distance throughout his difficult assignment. The final scene also struck me as a bit too melodramatic. But the rest of the film had me going for sure -- I'd give it four and a half stars for its genre.

Treacherous Treat.......2007-06-13

Based on a true story, 'Breach' gives us a nerve-wrenching tip-toe spy story taking place within the FBI. Young agent aspirant, Eric O'Neill (Ryan Phillippe) proves to be the kind of wunderkind his agency needs to do some in-house spying. At first he finds his mission nearly impossible, but his target is near-retiree curmudgeon Robert Hanssen (played with finesse by stock jerk-villain actor Chris Cooper, who here shows greater spectrum). He is prompted by his stridently clinical supervisor (Laura Linney in a starchly cool performance) who tells a story that seems to belie the facts. Relying on poker-face strategies, all players sort out mutual duplicity until the facts are revealed. In the meantime, like many spy dramas of late, the protagonist must balance his ambition with the love of his life.

Fascinating, this nail-biting drama is all the more tangible for being real. The hypnotic score gives a proper old-fashioned element that works so well in this thriller. With a solid story-line that seldom gets convoluted, 'Breach' is a treat for such a treacherous tale.

Breach (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]

Average customer rating:

Breach smeach
Brilliant low-key film

Breach (Combo HD DVD and Standard DVD) [HD DVD]
Starring: Gary Cole , Chris Cooper , Bruce Davison , Mary Jo Deschanel , and Dennis Haysbert
Director: Billy Ray
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

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ASIN: B000OYAT4E
Release Date: 2007-06-12

Customer Reviews:

Breach smeach.......2007-07-06

I was heavily disappointed after and throughout this movie. While I must say that Chris Cooper did an excellent job, I'm not so sure about his counterpart Ryan Phillippe. At times I couldn't tell if it was poor acting, or if it was done on purpose to exaggerate the fact that he was lying. I'm leaning toward this first. This movie seriously lacked action. Aside from a few somewhat tense moments when you think Cooper might be on to Phillippe, the most action occurred when Cooper fired his gun into the air. Very predictable, they didn't even throw in any twists or anything interesting. I could have written this movie between simulations at work. Not to mention the score sounded like a ripoff of Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata'.

Brilliant low-key film.......2007-06-26

Average customer rating:

COME ON - ENJOY IT FOR WHAT IT IS - ENTERTAINMENT
Excellent!
So-so
Solid Suspense Story
Secret Service agent framed

The Sentinel (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Kim Basinger , Blair Brown , Paul Calderon , David Rasche , and Raynor Scheine
Director: Clark Johnson
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
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ASIN: B000G5SILC
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Amazon.com

Clint Eastwood may be a little too old (plus he kind of already did his own version of this movie in 1993's In the Line of Fire), but Harrison Ford could have been The Sentinel's lead and lent the same kind of top-flight Hollywood superstar craft that Michael Douglas brings as a superstar secret service agent fighting a frame-up in a panicky countdown to peril. That the marquee name could have belonged to anyone with the same chops as Douglas is no slam to him, Ford, Eastwood, or anyone else of their ilk. The Sentinel is a crackling good thriller because everyone involved is working at the top of their game. Pete Garrison (Douglas) is on the presidential protection detail when another agent is murdered. A creepy informer tells Garrison about an elaborate assassination conspiracy that's related and well underway. Garrison also happens to be having an affair with the First Lady (Kim Basinger), the stress of which causes him to flunk a lie detector test when word of the plot to kill the president becomes more than just paranoia. Garrison is soon on the run, being hunted by his protege David Breckinridge (Kiefer Sutherland, whose 24 experience gives his performance an extra edge). But Garrison is the best, using all his secret service wiles (and there are plenty, the details of which give added tension and authenticity to the taut script) to evade his former comrades as the clock ticks. You can often see the plot thickening a mile away, and as much as the movie wants to keep us guessing, the real bad guy is an easy mark for the audience. But the energy and kinetic skill which propel the action are always spot on and enough to keep us from caring about the giveaways. Co-star Eva Longoria is miles away from her Desperate Housewives role and miles away from any real import of character in the movie. But the rest of the cast and the whooshing forward momentum of style and anxiety are plenty to keep The Sentinel in full-tilt suspense mode from beginning to end.--Ted Fry

Description

There's never been a traitor in the United States Secret Service...until now. And the evidence points to Pete Garrison (Douglas), one of the most trusted agents on the force. Now on the run, with two relentless federal investigators (Sutherland and Longoria) hot on his heels, Garrison must fight to clear his name and thwart an attempt on the President's life before it's too late!

Customer Reviews:

COME ON - ENJOY IT FOR WHAT IT IS - ENTERTAINMENT.......2007-06-29

Why pick it apart unless it is really bad -------------
The Sentinal was great for what it was dealing with --- the Secret Service men and putting their lives on the line for the President - whether he is worth it or not.

Stories can be revamped over the years but the actors playing the parts lend much to the enjoyment -- "the affair" I could have done without - just makes one believe all the dirty laundry that is run through in Washington.

And we do need men of principle who will be willing to actually shot a friend if he is a threat. Way to go, Jack.
And there are too many innocent people being set up by the corrupt men and women floating around D.C.

I enjoyed the chase - the pace - the characters - most Secret Service guys are great --

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this movie for the story and the execution - the enjoyment of good entertainment.

Excellent!.......2007-06-22

I watched this DVD twice in one week. It's fast moving and will really keep your attention.

So-so.......2007-06-14

With all the talent involved -Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Kim Basinger and Eva Longoria-- The Sentinel should have been a better movie. The idea is not a bad one: for the first time in history, there's a traitor inside the Secret Service, who's planning to kill the President of the United States. But screenplay has a lot of holes and flaws that not even this talented cast can overcome.

Solid Suspense Story.......2007-05-29

I had a good time with this one. There were no real surprises, but everyone connected with the movie delivered great performances that allowed the story to progress at a rapid, suspenseful pace that never broke.

Michael Douglas stars as Pete Garrison, a seasoned Secret Service agent who took a bullet meant for Ronald Reagan. He's ageing comfortably well and spending his life in service to the office of the President as a personal protector to the First Lady. Unfortunately, Garrison has also fallen in love with Sarah Ballentine and he's been compromised for some time.

In short order, a plot to kill the president is discovered. All indications are that the plot is coming from within the Secret Service. They go on a mole hunt at the same time one of Garrison's confidential informers tells him about the mole. Someone also knows about Garrison's affair with the first lady.

After a few tense cat-and-mouse moments, Garrison is placed in the cross-hairs of the Secret Service investigation. His one-time best friend David Breckinridge (Keifer Sutherland) comes after him with a vengeance because he believes Garrison had an affair with his wife. Eva Longoria stars as new Secret Service recruit Jill Marin.

The movie evolves into a series of chases and mystery-solving that runs tight and neat to the end, although it doesn't really break any new ground. The movie is a great rental for movie night for both sexes that enjoy suspense stories with well-choreographed action sequences.

I watched the Blu-ray version. The audio and video formatting are excellent and are both uncompressed, giving the viewer the best experience possible if they have an HD monitor and surround sound system.

Secret Service agent framed.......2007-05-14

Michael Douglas plays a long-time Secret Service agent who took a bullet in place of Ronald Reagan during his [...] attempt. Word has it that there is a plot to kill the current President and Douglas is supposed to be the man working on the inside to see that the [...] is successful. Investigators don't have to look far to uncover a motive, as Douglas has been carrying on an affair with the First Lady. Douglas has a tough job in eluding the investigators who are after him and trying to find the real Secret Service mole. This is a slick, fast-paced movie with plenty of star power in Douglas and Eva Longoria. It will provide you a good evening's entertainment.

Average customer rating:

A Top Ten All-Time Movie
Stalag 17
Another Great Wilder Classic
Stalag 17 Directors Cut Version
Stalag 17

Stalag 17 (Special Collector's Edition)
Starring: William Holden , Don Taylor , Otto Preminger , Robert Strauss , and Harvey Lembeck
Director: Billy Wilder
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000CNESN0
Release Date: 2006-03-21

Amazon.com essential video

Black comedy and suspenseful action inside a German POW camp during World War II--a setting that was later borrowed for the TV sitcom Hogan's Heroes. The great director Billy Wilder adapted the hit stage play, applying his own wicked sense of humor to the apparently bleak subject matter. William Holden plays an antisocial grouse amid a gang of wisecracking though indomitable American prisoners. Because of his bitter cynicism, Holden is suspected by the others of being an informer to the Germans, an accusation he must deal with in his own crafty way. Holden, who had delivered a brilliant performance for Wilder in Sunset Boulevard, won the 1953 Best Actor Oscar for Stalag 17. Very much his equal, however, is Otto Preminger, an accomplished director himself, who plays the strict, sneering camp commandant. --Robert Horton

Product Description

Two worthy Academy Award® nominees from 1950's Sunset Boulevard - actor William Holden and director Billy Wilder - reteamed three years later for the gripping World War II drama, Stalag 17. The result was another Best Director nomination for Wilder (his fourth), and the elusive Best Actor Oscar® for Holden. Holden portrays the jaded, scheming Sergeant J.J. Sefton, a prisoner at the notorious German prison camp, who spends his days dreaming up rackets and trading with the Germans for special privileges. But when two prisoners are killed in an escape attempt, it becomes obvious that there is a spy among the prisoners. Is it Sefton? Famed producer/director Otto Preminger tackles a rare acting role as the camp's commandant; actor Robert Strauss won a Supporting Actor nomination for his role as "Animal." Here's Wilder's powerful, acclaimed film classic -- now packed with never-before-seen special features, including audio commentary and "behind-the-scenes" featurettes.

Customer Reviews:

A Top Ten All-Time Movie.......2007-07-02

I saw the original big-screen version in 1953 when I was steady-dating the girl I would later marry. We would usually take in a movie on Friday night and pick the one we wanted to see from the newspaper listing. At that time theaters showed double features and many movies were still in black and white, with the most scenic and the epic movies in the new Technicolor process. On this particular Friday night there were no outstanding movies being shown (at least none with great reputations), so we picked the double feature with a Technicolor movie and another in black and white, and our main interest was in the Technicolor movie. The black and white feature was Stalag 17, which I have never forgotten even in many of the details, but to this day I cannot remember what the Technicolor movie was (the one that we really went to see). It was, and is, one of the great movies of all time. The DVD version was given to me a year or two ago, and I have enjoyed it all over again.

Whereas Hogan's Heroes (spawned by Stalag 17) was a spoof, and a very good one at that, Stalag 17 was a serious drama, notwithstanding its lighthearted comedy scenes with "Animal" and "Harry", and even "Sgt. Schultz", which provided comic relief. Sgt. Sefton (William Holden) is the wheeler-dealer in the baracks who has not endeared himself to his fellow POWs, and in fact, has alienated himself from them by taking advantage of them in betting and trading schemes. He's an entrepreneur. As a result, when planned escapes result in disaster because the Germans were tipped off, cynical Sefton is the main suspect in the betrayal. He so angers the other POWs by his insistance that the next escape attempt will fail, and he's willing to take bets on it, that they beat him up. In order to vindicate himself and avoid future beatings, he must find out who the traitor is and how the information is transmitted. During one of the barracks-emptying drills he lags behind and has the opportunity to observe how it is done. The scene where he exposes the modus operandi and the traitor is filled with tension and suspense, because at this point, none of the men trust him, and we anxiously wonder how he will convince them about what he has discovered.

The story has everything; drama, suspense, anxiety and laughter. For me, it is one of the most memorable movies I have ever seen and ranks with Casablanca as an all time great.

Stalag 17.......2007-06-26

Unlike so many war films, Wilder's brilliant "Stalag" favors cynicism and satirical black humor over knee-jerk, good guy-bad guy patriotism. Coming on the heels of his success in Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard," Holden's Oscar-winning performance as a less-than-admirable army grunt helped establish the baseline for his enigmatic macho persona. And Preminger, working on the other side of the camera for once, plays sadistic Von Scherbach to sinister perfection. The barbed inspiration for "Hogan's Heroes," "Stalag 17" is the quintessential prisoner-of-war film, a seamless blending of gallows humor and gripping intrigue.

Another Great Wilder Classic.......2007-06-05

It's amazing how many great films Mr. Wilder made along his career. I'm more fond of his true comedies, sad comedies at times, romantic to the max, but his incursions into more serious themes leave also the mark of genius. From the very first scene one has pretty clear the idea that 'this one is art cinema'. His dexterity at finding the right pace and combining the subtle, but precise, ingredients to captivate his audience for 2 hours is such that very few film directors ever had. Such naturality.

He combines a dramatic setting and subject with cartoonish characters, and Hitchcockian suspense. The music is excellent, the photography is great. And this is one of his minor films. Imagine how great are his other masterpieces!

Stalag 17 Directors Cut Version.......2007-03-20

Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fast Shipping!!!!!!!!!!!

Product as described!!!!!!!!!!!!

Outstanding Buyer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stalag 17.......2007-03-20

I loved this movie. I have seen it several times. I had a vcr of it and watched it many times.

Average customer rating:

He who spies and runs away . . .
an excellent dramatisation of an extraordinary life..
DIGITAL TRANSFER TO DVD COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER
An intelligent thriller!
Where it Begins

Reilly - Ace of Spies
Starring: Sam Neill , Peter Egan , Ian Charleson , Norman Rodway , and Tom Bell
Director: Martin Campbell , and Jim Goddard
Manufacturer: A&E Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

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ASIN: B000742FZW
Release Date: 2005-02-22

Amazon.com

Reilly: Ace of Spies is a thrilling dramatization of the fantastic life and exploits of Sidney Reilly, arguably the first modern secret agent and a complex, often unfathomable individual who invented his very name and identity. Sam Neill has never been better as the former Sigmund Rosenblum, an Odessa-born Jew who becomes a freelance spy for the British at the dawn of the 20th century. Calculating, ruthless, and more certain of his own counsel than the wisdom of his superiors, Reilly (he changes his name by the end of the first episode, "An Affair with a Married Woman," to obscure his personal history) can't help but remind one of a particularly determined James Bond. Reilly's reputation as a womanizer--not entirely deserved, but then none of his associates can quite figure out his thriving love life--adds to this historical figure's Bondian mystique.

In other respects, Reilly's version of espionage is far more complicated, and has greater historical repercussions, than that of Fleming's superspy. The first half of the 12 episodes in this set concern Reilly's daring work ascertaining and even securing the West's access to Middle East oil and, looking ahead to Russia's possible rise as a major power, determine the extent of that country's oil reserves. At the same time, Reilly always has one eye trained on ethically ambiguous opportunities to accrue wealth or play one friendly interest against another. The oil mission leads him from virtual house arrest in the foothills of the Caucuses (where Reilly sleeps with the young wife of an aging preacher as cover for his escape, leaves her to be arrested, then later marries her) to Port Arthur in China (where he clears the way for British allies the Japanese to invade) to France (where Reilly competes with the Rothschilds over Persian Oil concessions). The latter episodes focus on Reilly's extraordinary attempt to overthrow the Bolsheviks following the Russian revolution, barely escaping St. Petersburg after a botched attempt to assassinate Lenin and later risking his life by returning and advocating the killing of Stalin. Throughout this ever-changing drama, the series' writing is a marvel of historical fact and intriguing speculation about Reilly's whereabouts, exploits, and private passions. The supporting cast is superb, including David Burke as Stalin and Tom Bell as Russia's secret police chief Dzerzhinsky. The series was co-directed by Martin Campbell, who took on Pierce Brosnan's first assignment as 007, GoldenEye. --Tom Keogh

Description

At the turn of the 20th century, one remarkable man single-handedly tried to alter the course of history. Cold, ruthless, enigmatic, this Russian-born British agent radically transformed modern espionage techniques and set the mold for a new kind of secret agent-the super spy. REILLY: ACE OF SPIES is the thrilling, suspenseful dramatization of the real-life adventures of Agent ST-1, aka Sidney Reilly, the inspiration behind Ian Fleming's James Bond. Shot in glorious period detail, one heart-pulsing mission after another captures the arc of Reilly's brilliant career. From stealing top-secret Russian oil information to a near overthrow of the Bolshevik Revolution to his final capture by Stalin's forces in 1918, Reilly's exploits are at times so daring and reckless it's hard to believe it's history and not fiction. Starring Sam Neill (Jurassic Park, The Hunt for Red October), REILLY: ACE OF SPIES includes all 12 original episodes on DVD for the first time, and features a bonus documentary examining the final, mysterious days of this legendary figure. DVD Features: "Life of Reilly: Superspy" episode from A&E's acclaimed Vanishings series; Interactive Menus; Scene Selection

Customer Reviews:

He who spies and runs away . . ........2007-06-14

. . . may live to spy another day, but unlike James Bond, Sidney Reilly is (or was) a mortal spy, not a cardboard one. His enemies (and those of the West for most of the last century) actually got him in the end (1925). Knowledge of this fact, and that Reilly (aka Sigmund Rosenblum of Odessa) was actually employed by the British Secret Intelligence Service and played a significant, if covert, part in world events only enhances the suspense of this excellent British series, which one does not want to end the way it did in real life.

Part "007 for the Educated," and part "Upstairs-Downstairs" in spirit, this series follows the adventures of the "Ace of Spies," against the backdrop of history, from 1900 until 1925. The series, in fact, would make an excellent teaching tool for a high school or college World History class, when annotated by a history instructor. From the 1904 Japanese sinking of the Russian fleet at Port Arthur in Manchuria, through the Russian Revolution of 1917, until Stalin's paranoic ascendency in the 1920's, the viewer is treated to a "rippng yarn" in which the historic connivings of the Usual Suspects for oil, arms and power (What else?) is one of the most fascinating aspects. We even have a "good Bolshie" (sort of) in the persona of Felix Dzerzhinsky, founder of the Cheka (later the KGB), and "bad Bolshie" in that of Joseph Stalin (You were expecting, maybe, Kim Philby?). At any rate, the series is gripping from beginning to end.

Yes, the quality of the color is rather on the sepia side, but this defect (if it is a deliberate one) contributes to the "historical" ambience of "Reilly." I also began to wonder whether the Moscow of Lenin & Co. were really as spic and span as presented (but then, I may have been influenced by the propaganda of the last century that suggests otherwise). I was, however, less than impressed by the makeup: Leo McKern's nose, in particular, kept changing shape and color, until in his last scenes, it looked just like what it was: putty. Furthermore, the maquillage on Reilly's first wife, who was supposed to be fifty, with clown white under her eyes, and black shadow on her cheeks, was simply amateurish. These flaws, however (for which I have witheld a star), are but flyspecks on the panorama of an otherwise excellent series from the BBC.

an excellent dramatisation of an extraordinary life.........2007-02-16

I had never heard of Sydney Reilly, Britain's Ace of Spies, before watching this series, but am now looking for all the books about him that I can find. This really well-made series about the life of a man whose real-life exploits beggar those of the fictional James Bond is absolutely riveting. Reilly(real name Sigmund Rosenblum, a Russian Jewish emigre from Odessa) is a fascinating character--highly intelligent; amoral yet capable of inspiring great friendships; brave yet careful; secretive yet often daring to the point of recklessness. He was involved in so many plots and was instrumental in so much that went on in espionage, and world events, in the early part of the 20th century--it is amazing, really, considering what one man could do, in those days. You can't imagine one spy making such a difference in modern times..
It's all beautifully done and acted--and the superlative Sam Neill, with his controlled elegance and deep gaze is the perfect actor to take on a demanding and complex role. Highly recommended!
Incidentally, in 2002, papers released by Britain's spy agency, and dating from that time, prove pretty conclusively that Reilly was shot on the orders of Stalin himself.

DIGITAL TRANSFER TO DVD COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER.......2007-01-05

I have enjoyed many of the episodes for some years now, and was eagerly awaiting the DVD version. Some episodes are obviously better than others in terms of production qaulity and substance. Overall, I was disappointed in the digital quality of the images. At times, the images and scenes was grainy and too dark. In some cases, the VHS actually provided a better-quality image.

An intelligent thriller!.......2006-11-10

This series has everything: suspense, love, inernational intrigue, with a true background of world events.
It is the type of a John le Carré novel.
Sam Neill is just amazing. The settings and costumes look authentic and are beautiful.
We all loved it!

Where it Begins.......2006-11-08

Reilly Ace of Spies is an excellent set of British television drama. Beyond that, it is well written, very well acted and very well directed to give a sense of time and place. More so because it is actually based on the life of Sidney Reilly, a turn-of-the-century British intelligence agent.

Besides being a tight action drama in the class of many British classics, in presenting the Reilly storyline, the set gives us a lesson in history, but one not only captivating and interesting, but also educational.

This set is well worth the price and well worth the viewing. It may also render some view of the problems in the Middle East that we deal with today and why we deal with them.

Average customer rating:

"We mock what we don't understand"
5 star comment
Lame
Spies like Us
quite weak

Spies Like Us
Starring: Chevy Chase , Dan Aykroyd , Steve Forrest , Donna Dixon , and Bruce Davison
Director: John Landis
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 6305162042
Release Date: 1998-11-10

Amazon.com

Yet another bad movie in a lengthy string of losers for all three of the principals involved here: director John Landis and stars Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase. Chase and Aykroyd play a pair of bumbling would-be CIA agents who are spotted cheating on the entrance exam. So the CIA decides to use them as bait in a mission to flummox the Russians. Lots of pointless slapstick and mugging, but Landis hasn't made a genuinely funny film since Trading Places. Aykroyd and Chase seem smug and self-satisfied (don't they always?), as though they can rest forever on laurels earned during the 1975 season of Saturday Night Live. Look for a gaggle of film directors (Terry Gilliam, Joel Coen, Costa-Gavras) in cameo roles: that's the closest this film comes to cleverness. --Marshall Fine

Customer Reviews:

"We mock what we don't understand".......2007-05-25

How unique to see a movie in which Dan Aykroyd looks short!

There's nothing terribly wrong with "Spies Like Us". The plot is perfectly sound as the basis for a comedy, and Chase and Aykroyd do their best with the material. The problem is that it's just not that funny. There are only a handful of the laugh-out-loud moments that should serve as justification for the whole enterprise.

Another problem is that Chase's character is so hopelessly incompetent that he makes no contribution to the characters' mission whatsoever. Aykroyd's character could have done the whole thing by himself. This characteristic is not shared by "Ghostbusters" or even "The Blues Brothers", in which all the leading characters have particular technical and/or social skills that are essential to the success of the team. As an Aykroyd fan I'm always happy to see him playing courageous and competent characters, but Austin Millbarge is arguably **too** perfect; he doesn't have any of the kind of peculiarities that Aykroyd can get his teeth into as an actor, like Ray Stantz's childlike nature in "Ghostbusters" or Mother's outrageous conspiracy theories in "Sneakers".

5 star comment.......2007-03-09

The priduct arrived ahed of time, no problems, no dispute
and your reply made me feel very plesed to contact you again.

Lame.......2006-07-18

When John Belushi died in 1982, he left Dan Aykroyd with several scripts and the sad end to what could have been a great comedy team like Laurel & Hardy or Abbott & Costello.

Aykroyd filled John's spot in GHOSTBUSTERS with Bill Murray and hit comedy gold.

He filled SPIES LIKE US with Chevy Chase and came up snake eyes.

View at your own risk. At least it's not as bad as NOTHING BUT TROUBLE, easily one of the worst comedies ever made.

Spies like Us.......2006-07-03

I love this movie with a Paul McCartney song. I received it fast and at a great price.

quite weak.......2006-06-14

The story is about special agents saving the world from some bad guys in the US government. The idea is similar to the 007 movies, but it is really not comparable. The movie is quite primitive, the story is predictable, the jokes are about old Cold War era stereotypes. The acting would be ok for some late night show episodes but not a full length movie.

Average customer rating:

I love John Wayne Movies
Better than I was expecting
Farewell, my friend, farewell !
Rio Lobo - Seller/product review
Not one of the Duke's better movies

Rio Lobo
Starring: John Wayne , Jorge Rivero , Jennifer O'Neill , Jack Elam , and Christopher Mitchum
Director: Howard Hawks
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008CMR6
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Amazon.com

The final film by the legendary director Howard Hawks, released in 1970, found him paired with longtime leading man John Wayne in a story slightly similar to their more familiar Rio Bravo and El Dorado. Set at the end of the Civil War, the story finds Wayne playing a Union army colonel who recovers some stolen gold and roots out a traitor. Though a little creaky (Hawks had been making films since 1926), Rio Lobo nevertheless has his trademark, crackling dialogue, appealing characters, and ensemble spirit among the cast. This was a worthy finish to a fantastic career by a first-rank filmmaker. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

I love John Wayne Movies.......2007-05-12

My review title says it all. I have always loved John Wayne movies. I have never seen one I have not liked. Some are better than others, but all are enjoyable. Rio Lobo is one of my favorite westerns of his. The great thing about his movies is that I can watch them with my 2 grandsons and do not have to worry about them seeing something inappropriate for their young age unlike movies made today. We recently purchased a LCD HDTV so we can enjoy them like they were shown in theaters which makes them even more enjoyable to watch.

Better than I was expecting.......2007-05-08

I was under the impression this movie wasn't very good and it really is better than some of the reviews given about the movie. It also was different than Rio Bravo and El Dorado despite what had been said. It is a great addition to any John Wayne movie collector.

Farewell, my friend, farewell !.......2007-01-25

Rio Lobo was the swan's song of Howard Hawks. And you may realize how the personages are handled with such accurate blend of humanity, tenderness, kind manners and a good taste loaded of farewell.

The dialogues are incisive and snappy, John Wayne is an old wolf who will put order in a town submitted by an abominable gang with the consent of a corrupt sheriff.

And the rest of the plot runs for you. Under any circumstance you should not miss this unforgettable and very touching Western.

Rio Lobo - Seller/product review.......2006-11-05

I couldn't be more pleased with the results of this purchase. The item was in great condition, the service was prompt and efficient and the price was great!

Not one of the Duke's better movies.......2006-10-30

As many other reviewers have noted, Rio Lobo is not one of John Wayne's better western tales. Overall, it is pretty entertaining, but there is not much new to offer. In fact, the Duke kind of seems over the hill in this one.

The plot is pretty simple to follow, and there are some pretty good gun fights. But, the acting is pretty lacking. Therefore, I do not recommend watching this movie, unless you are a pretty big John Wayne fan. If not, check out some of his earlier Westerns.

Average customer rating:

Excellent
Better than I remember it!
Terrible Movie
One of Harrison Ford's Worst Movies
Navarone Part II

Force 10 From Navarone
Starring: Robert Shaw , Harrison Ford , Barbara Bach , Edward Fox , and Franco Nero
Director: Guy Hamilton
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 0792844017
Release Date: 2000-03-28

Amazon.com

Generally underrated by critics, this 1978 sequel to the famous Guns of Navarone finds a miscellaneous group of commandos and spies trying to hinder the Nazis by destroying a bridge between them and the partisans. The story (based on a novel by Alistair MacLean) has nothing to do with the first film, but it is a tightly woven and entertaining piece with sharp performances and delightful character alliances. Director Guy Hamilton (Goldfinger) brings his trademark eye for handsome vistas to the canvas as well, so this is hardly the shoddy and dull knockoff many reviewers have previously suggested. No classic, perhaps, but a lot of fun. --Tom Keogh

Description

Robert Shaw (The Deep, Jaws) and Harrison Ford (The Fugitive, Air Force One) star as fearless World War II commandos in this thrilling follow-up to The Guns of Navarone. Directed by Guy Hamilton (Goldfinger) and adapted to the screen by Robin Chapman (screenplay) and Academy AwardÂ(r) winner* Carl Foreman (screen story), it's a large-scale action-adventure saga with "remarkable special effects" (Los Angeles Times), a powerful cast and "one hair-breadth escape after another" (Newsweek). In the darkest days of World War II, Hitler's armies are storming through Europe, annihilating all opposition in their path. But US Colonel Barnsby (Ford) plots to strike a crippling blow to the brutal Nazi forces. To succeed, he'll need the help of the most skilled and lethal soldiers in the world: the Force 10 squad, fresh from itstriumphant mission at Navarone. *1957: Adapted Screenplay, The Bridge on the River Kwai

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-04-06

A great "popcorn" movie. Hadn't seen this in nearly 30 years (saw it in the threatre with Dad back in '78). Anyway, great cast, good action, visually captivating - fun movie to watch if you don't get carried away with nitpicking every detail.

Better than I remember it!.......2007-02-09

You know, when I first saw this movie many years ago, I was so disappointed - it was such a lame exercise in low quality film making after the superb Guns of Navarone.
However, watching it now, and trying to divorce it from any connection with the original, it really is a much better film than I gave it credit for.
The most obvious difference is that this restored version really does change the whole quality of the transfer, making the scenery stand out the way it should. The widescreen presentation really makes a huge difference over the pan and scan TV version.
But the whole `boys own' adventure nature of the movie is more fun than I remember it too.. and that is the crux of it really - the movie is intended not to be any deep character study, but to capture some of the fun of Maclean's novel. Sure, there is no Gregory Peck and he is keenly missed, but Robert Shaw is great casting as the laconic hero of the novel, and who can forget him delivering that last line as the camera pans back at the end of the movie, when you think all has been accomplished?
Edward Fox is a little grating as a Niven replacement, but really the casting reaches absurdity with Carl Weathers - he might have been popular back in the 80's, but now he looks incredibly out of place in this sort of movie. Harrison Ford looking spookily young, plays his part straight and true, if uninspired, and as if that was not enough we have the always excellent Franco Nero as the ? bad guy, and Barbara Bach as a Partisan member - although it's something of a stretch to believe that they had such beautiful Partisan members getting down and dirty with the fighting while keeping that long hair immaculate, but its all part of the necessary suspension of belief required to get into the spirit of the movie.
No, it's not a classic, but its darn good boys own fun. Well worth a budget purchase for a Saturday afternoon.

Terrible Movie.......2007-01-27

It's hard to believe that great actors like Harrison Ford & Robert Shaw can't save this terrible movie ! One of the worst ever made !
If you want to see a great war film buy "The Guns of Navarone" !!!

One of Harrison Ford's Worst Movies.......2006-09-12

One of the biggest abortions, in terms of both quality and box office receipts, that Harrison Ford has ever starred in was 1978's Force 10 from Navarone.

This movie was the first big budget production that Ford was in after the success of "Star Wars." It was also the sequel to the popular 1961 flick "The Guns of Navarone." Both movies were based on the novels of the same name by popular action adventure writer Alistair MacLean. However, while "The Guns of Navarone" for the most part followed the original novel, the producers of the sequel decided to trash the novel that it was ostensibly based on and the end result was an ungodly mess.

From beginning to end, Force 10 from Navarone is a series of highly contrived events that are strung together in the mistaken belief that dreck can turn into gold. For instance, instead of just simply sending Force 10 on its mission to Yugoslavia in 1943, the producers of this movie would have you believe that Allied commandos would have to break into an Allied air base and steal an airplane to carry out their mission. Whilst doing so, the commandos pick up a black sergeant (Carl Weathers) who was somehow at the whites-only air base. This proves a problem for Force 10 since special forces need to blend in the countryside and local folks in order to fulfill their mission and having a black guy along for the ride does not help matters any.

Upon arriving in Yugoslavia, the commandos go through a series of improbable events that severely strain the audience's suspension of disbelief. Among other things, this movie made the huge historical error of making the Chetniks supporters of the Nazis. In real life, the Chetniks were the toughest opponents that the Nazis had to fight in Yugoslavia. At the time, the Soviet Union and Communists all over the world carried on propaganda campaigns to the effect that the Chetniks were really on the side of the enemy and that the Partisans of Marshal Tito were the only truly anti-Nazi group of Yugoslavian resistance fighters. Although Allied intelligence always recognized that the Chetniks were on our side, the Communists eventually succeeded in getting Allied politicians to drop support for the Chetniks and unreservedly support the Communist Partisans. In the years since World War II, historians have come to realize that the Chetniks were smeared as being pro-Nazis. Unfortunately, Force 10 from Navarone repeats that smear.

The movie winds up with one of the most ridiculous about-faces in movie history. The commandos decided that they did not have enough explosives to blow up the targeted bridge. Then, they decide that since there's a dam up the river, why not blow it up and cause the bridge to fall over. Only problem is that the dam is much bigger than the bridge, but the producers ignored that little problem. The producers also provided the dam with little German security with the result that the commandos had a ridiculously easy time gaining entry to plant their bombs.

All this is in direct contradiction of the novel. In the book, the mission was from the get go to destroy the bridge by blowing up the dam. Force 10 received supplies dropped from Allied planes and the Allied air forces bombed German forces to distract enemy attention from what Force 10 was up to. Also, the intrepid Greek hero from "The Guns of Navarone," Andrea, was in the novel but he is not in this movie. There is no legitimate reason why the movie could not have followed the book.

Force 10 from Navarone is pure drivel. Watch it only if you enjoy ridiculing stupid movies.

Navarone Part II.......2006-08-30

I thought I saw this movie from the very beginning. Evidently, I missed the introduction tying "Force 10" back to "The Guns of Navarone." Somewhat strange to have a sequel with none of the actors from the first movie. It should be noted that this movie is not dependent on the plot from the first film. The storyline is mostly independent from the original "Navarone" and there does not appear to be any favoring of one character over the other when it comes to screen time; therefore, no definitive hero in this story.

Force 10 already has their mission behind enemy lines in order to help the rebellion against the German advance. Robert Shaw's character is tacked on as an afterthought in order to fulfill his own objective from the Allied Command. Changes in events lead to everyone having to work together while still trying to complete the objectives of both Force 10 and Maj. Mallory with a new twist than that of the intended plan. As stated before you don't need to have really seen "The Guns of Navarone" in order to see (and enjoy) this film. A great story with many suspenseful scenes that you can enjoy with your family if you would like to.

Average customer rating:

Transient Identity....
Oh Dear
intense but annoying
Stunning young Jack Nicholson
an unhappy marriage

The Passenger
Starring: Jack Nicholson , Maria Schneider , Jenny Runacre , Ian Hendry , and Steven Berkoff
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000E33W0I
Release Date: 2006-04-25

Amazon.com

The Passenger is one of those movies that is all about the vision of the director, in this case, screen legend Michelangelo Antonioni. Starring none other than Jack Nicholson, and featuring a plot billed as an international romantic thriller, The Passenger defies expectations by turning the genre on its head, making the characters and the story secondary to theme and tone. London-based Journalist David Locke (Nicholson) is working in North Africa when a fellow traveler by the name of David Robertson, who looks remarkably like him, happens to die suddenly. Burned out and depleted, Locke decides to assume the dead man's identity, drops everything, and starts again as a new man with a new life. With no idea of who Robertson was or what he did for a living, Locke uses Robertson's datebook as a guide as he travels through Europe and Africa, takes meetings with people he finds out are gun runners, and ends up falling for a beautiful young woman (Maria Schneider). As Robertson, David Locke thinks he has found an exhilirating new freedom, but the fact is he's in over his head: there are people looking for him and his life could be in danger.

The movie is a thriller in structure only. While designed for suspense, it's just a premise for Antonioni to explore on themes of identity, humankind's seemingly futile relationship to the world around us, and isolation. For Antonioni, the action is the means by which the image unfolds, and not the other way around. The actors and the plot are set pieces, simply smaller means to a larger end, and the image and atmosphere supersede all else. A slow pace, long, lingering shots, a focus on emptiness, and a detached, almost brutally objective point of view are the trademarks on full display here. Especially notable is the stunning seven-minute long shot in the final scene, one of the most famous in cinema history, which Nicholson, in his commentary, tags as an "Antonioni joke." It caps a crowning achievement by one of the big screen's most visionary directors.

On the DVD:
The commentaries are most definitely welcome guides, and those looking for a way into the movie and into Antonioni's head will really enjoy them. Jack Nicholson provides one commentary track where he generously shares his memories of the shoot, his thoughts on the movie thirty years on, and lets out the secret of how they managed to get the camera through the bars on the window for that seven-minute shot in the last scene. On the second commentary track, journalist Aurora Irvine and screenwriter Mark Peploe offer more of a wide-angle lens view of the movie and its place in history. Both are insightful narratives—Nicholson's is particularly enjoyable--and make excellent additions to the DVD. --Daniel Vancini

Description

A burned-out journalist assumes the identity of a dead man and embarks on a dangerous charade, including meetings with gun runners and an affair with a mysterious young woman.

Originally released in 1975, Sony Pictures Classics re-releases Antonioni's suspenseful and haunting portrait of a drained journalist whose deliverance is an identity exchange with a dead man. He embarks on a treacherous journey through Africa, Spain, Germany, England, Spain.

Customer Reviews:

Transient Identity...........2007-04-16

Michaelangelo Antonioni takes as a starting point a plot that could have easily made a standard or even quite good thriller, and quietly dismantles nearly all of its thriller tropes to create a strange and moody meditation on the fragile veneer of identity, and the danger bo