The Amateur

1982 "In a world of professional assassins, there is no room for an amateur."
5.8| 1h52m| R| en| More Info
Released: 12 February 1982 Released
Producted By: Balkan Productions
Country: Canada
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
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A researcher for the CIA who convinces his superiors to send him to the eastern bloc in order to avenge the murder of his wife by enemy agents discovers a web of deception underneath his wife's death.

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Director

Charles Jarrott

Production Companies

Balkan Productions

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The Amateur Audience Reviews

Wordiezett So much average
ThrillMessage There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.
Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;
tjirish34 I always thought this was a good spy film. It's not a big budget film. Maybe the lackluster reviews are because of the story arc painting the USA gov't in a bad light. I will say SPOILER ALERT I AM GIVING AWAY MAIN PLOT POINTS HERE BELOW. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED SO Don't Whine. Don't read below: ################################################################# Savage works for CIA in a non spy boring job. His wife happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and is part of a terrorist hostage taking operation. The terrorists make demands and threaten to kill hostages. Officials balk and try to negotiate. They bring out a hostage (savage wife) on TV. Terrorist kills his wife and Savage see's it on live TV. Officials give into demands and terrorists fly off to Eastern Europe during Cold war. Savage is told nothing CIA can do as they are protected in Eastern Europe. Savage is not buying it and as a cryptographer he gets hold of embarrassing CIA files and basically black mails the CIA to send him to the FARM and be trained as a field agent. Behind the scenes CIA is trying to track down the black mailed files which Savage has hidden and also given to a reporter friend for protection. Savage gets his mission for revenge. The CIA tracks and cuts a deal with the reporter for the files. Not knowing Savage has a copy hidden. Right after he crosses border CIA tries to hunt Savage to kill him now that Savage has lost his leverage. Meanwhile Savage tracks down the terrorists... I will stop here and say that the following plot point ends up making the US gov't CIA look badly while the Soviet KGB officer in film comes out looking good.I think this is a good spy film. In fact it was a small film and a lot of it's plot you can see in other future films. The Bourne films with Matt Damon have some of this film in them. As do other's. A lot of Hollywood big films take small films like this film's plot points and use the idea's for larger films knowing the general public may not have seen it. TOO bad a remake wasn't made as alleged on the board. The main plot points would make an interesting updated film. Contrary to a reviewer about Czech footage. Since this is cold war it should look bleak. In fact I am going to re watch this film.----------- TJH
manuel-pestalozzi I have never been to the Czech Republic yet, but I hope that some day I will make it. This movie will certainly not influence my decision – but Czechs might like to watch it. Will they recognize their own country? I doubt it.Basically this is a vigilante movie. Some terrorists (not oriental Muslims for once but German home grown nut cases) storm the American consulate in Munich, take all people hostage and ask for the release of some of their comrades. Otherwise they will kill a hostage every, say, half hour. For good measure they kill a young woman right after formulating their demands. As fate would have it, it's the fiancée of a CIA ciphers specialist who decides that he wants to go after the killers (who got away) and kill them in turn, cost it what it may.The terrorist's area for occasional relaxation and training sessions is the Socialist Republic of Czechoslovakia. So our hero has to go there and forces his employer to help him. Once there he discovers that they don't like him at the CIA and are after his hide. But among bad to brutish Czechs he finds good Czechs who will gladly risk their lives so that he can fulfill his (perfectly understandable) dreams of revenge.Very often this movie is outright ridiculous. But there are a few very good and excellently filmed scenes. The highlight for me is the young yet very bald terrorist who takes a swim in a luxurious old Czech hotel, all on his own, only to get blown up by our hero with the help of plastics taped to the glass pane which separates the pool from the bar. The acting is so so but Christopher Plummer is simply brilliant as the sophisticated bad Czech. There seem to be no limits for this wonderful actor, he really is extremely versatile. The Czech outdoor scenes were partly filmed in Vienna, there are also a few great shots of 19th century Munich.
Kir Kirian This movie came out at the time when the Iran hostage situation had ended. The message is very simple: One has to put off a fire with a fire. The only thing that terrorists can understand is their own language of terror. Being civil to terrorists is similar to trying to convert Hitler to becoming a Jew! This is a great entertaining movie, and perhaps what is left with you for a long time is the coldness and cruelty of how Sarah is shot in the head - an innocent soul who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. And Sarah's look just before she is shot speaks volume for the helplessness it presents in front of evil (like those of Islamists).
kc7tzp This movie has been and will remain a favorite for many years to come. I loved how the plot leads you to the correct conclusion with all the subtle hints dropped throughout the movie, and was pleased by the "justice was served" ending. As he seeks the answers to why the CIA doesn't follow up on the killing, it is interesting to note that even though they gave him training and supplied him with the weaponry, he was a target, just the same.As for the final outcome and the ending, it was interesting to find out just exactly who knew what about the whole affair. All in all, it was a really entertaining movie that I do and will recommend everyone seeing, being sure it will stir up the brain's capabilities to understand the subtle nuances in life.