Steineded How sad is this?

Stevecorp Don't listen to the negative reviews

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

davidcarniglia Great acting from Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif, a fascinating, if overly complex plot, and fine attention to detail make Night of the Generals a compelling film. O'Toole gives arguably the best take ever on a Nazi nut-case character.I agree with those who feel that the romance and Hitler assassination subplots weigh the movie down. The corporal's character has the necessary purpose of incriminating O'Toole's General Tanz, not to mention highlighting Tanz's borderline comically obsessive behaviors; but the girlfriend just gobbles up minutes without adding much interest. Also, as interesting as the assassination plot/attempt is, it also ends up adding extra characters and scenes irrelevant to the main murder mystery. At first it seems that General Tanz is too obvious a suspect; he's an habitual sadist. Torching whole blocks of Warsaw as an "exercise" while promising the local children candy is just the kind of Santa Claus-from-hell persona that spells out sociopath. The other two generals, depicted as more or less 'good Germans,' are not nearly so interesting as Tanz. It might've been a better mystery if either Donald Pleasance's or Charles Gray's character had been the murderer. Surely, O'Toole's Tanz could fill a whole toolshed with his personality disorders. Of course he's a murderer; killing the three women was just a side-show for him.What was an interesting match-up was Omar Sharif and Philippe Noiret; their characters understood each other. In a way, their shared interest in solving the murder(s) shows, ironically, that there's more going on than the war, more important things that involve the civilized world of the rule of law.The frame story set in contemporary (1965) times gives a bit more perspective, and actually complements the main plot. Except for Tanz, civilization has returned. It's strange that he survives twenty years imprisonment as a war criminal, but can't deal with his capture as an ordinary murderer. Perhaps he's more afraid of losing status than losing his life.There's a lot going on here; Night of the Generals is worth repeat viewings. Despite the piggy-backing of plots, great performances give us a memorable movie.

SnoopyStyle It's 1942 Warsaw. A Polish prostitute is sadistically murdered. She was a German agent and German Intelligence Major Grau (Omar Sharif) investigates. A witness saw a General's uniform. He zeroes in on General von Seydlitz-Gabler (Charles Gray), his chief of staff General Kahlenberg (Donald Pleasence) and General Tanz (Peter O'Toole). Grau is promoted away to Paris by General Kahlenberg. All four are reunited in 1944 Paris as an assassination attempt takes place against Hitler. In 1965, Interpol Inspector Morand reopens the case trying to piece together the clues. The movie switches back and forth between the two periods.It's an old fashion crime mystery in the times of war. It's a little hard to get involved. Normally the story would just follow Grau and the audience can solve the case alongside him. This one follows everybody because of its structure. It meanders. I keep waiting for the story to get back to the murder mystery as the movie follows the generals in their war. I wish the movie keeps it more like a police investigation and maintain a higher level of tension. It should be constantly reminding the audience of the brutal murder. If they want to make a movie about Valkyrie, they could do the real story.

Shelby G. Spires The Night of the Generals is a 1960s favorite of mine, even if it is just for the talent and the cinematography. Alas, today, because of a few production errors, as it stands, this one is the answer to the trivia question: "What film reunited 'Lawrence of Arabia' co-stars Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif?" This film has about every Sixties icon that could be shoved in a Wehrmacht uniform - Peter O'Toole, Tom Courtenay Omar Sharif, Charles Grey, Christopher Plummer, Donald Pleasance, Nigel Stock, etc. It only lacks Derren Nesbitt, Jeremy Kemp and James Mason (along with real German Karl Michael Vogler) to have rounded up the majority of European male stock of actors who could fill out a German uniform. The setting of Warsaw showed these guys were bad Germans, and few movies are set in World War II Warsaw, even though it is as easy as taking a back lot and making it look further run down. Involving some of the Generals in the actual July 1944 plot to kill Hitler - hence the name "The Night of the Generals" - gives the film depth (but pads it for about half an hour). The "who done it" in wartime was a great plot touch. The color, the psychology used with O'Toole's character of General Tanz gives the movie a touch of learned discourse. And murdering prostitutes gave it as close to SEX, boobs and legs as could be done in 1966, when the film was lensed. *** SPOILER *** And here's where it makes the viewer hate it: O'Toole literally kills the movie, the audience and Sharif's Major Grau when he guns down Omar in a climatic confrontation and with about 20 minutes left for dates and viewers to squirm their seats. It was as if Holmes were torn apart by the Baskerville hounds on the moors. Sharif as Grau was everyman. He is even likable as a German pressed into wartime service because he was a policeman in civilian life and was needed for the war effort. Everybody loves the detective cop. But O'Toole simply, dispassionately guns him down. It is a cheap shock for the audience, but the act destroys the one person the viewer identified with. I mean there may have been a few fellows in 1967 Rio or Caracas who were pulling for the Generals, but those guys were not the money paying target audience. Spend two hours building a character and then gun him down, and the audience will hate the movie. They did, and they still do. Well, a guy who was an enlisted man in 1967 Vietnam said they showed this movie to the soldiers and it was sort of popular for the girls,the sex killing and the fact a few generals sort of get it. This could be remade today. Throw out the bit about killing Hitler, make it a straight psycho general with common hang ups and keep Grau ALIVE until after the war when he brings justice to Tanz, and it would work. It could even work with some sort of anti moral twist ending, such as Grau killing Tanz and keeping the cycle of violence open. But it CANNOT work with the hero figure murdered before the closing act. So, great film if you like 1960s talent and faux psychology. If you like straight murder mysteries or simple crime plots - SKIP IT.

edumacated this film transcends the usual agenda of the usual film financiers.it is a metaphor to show that there was murder beyond the murder we have all been trained to see.there were almost 27 million soviets slaughtered in what they call the "great patriotic war", that is their war with the Germans.but who talks about that.and that is the point of the film. there are crimes committed far beyond those we have been spoon fed to digest. there is a multitude of German resistance we have not been allowed to absorb, because the group that controls the media needs a total villain deserving no mercy in order to maximize the sympathy and guilt we are all programmed to feel.if you feel repulsion at this review, then you and i are both victims of this propaganda.