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Charles Long
Charles Long

The Night Of The Generals



The murder of a prostitute, who was also a German agent, in German-occupied Warsaw in 1942 causes Major Grau of the Abwehr to start an investigation. His evidence soon points to the killer being one of three German generals: General von Seidlitz-Gabler; General Kahlenberge, his chief of staff; or General Tanz, a highly decorated officer and a favorite of Adolf Hitler. Grau's investigation is cut short by his sudden promotion and transfer to Paris at the instigation of these officers.




The Night of the Generals


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On the night of 19 July 1944, Tanz orders his driver, Kurt Hartmann, to procure a French prostitute; Tanz butchers her so as to implicate Hartmann, but offers Hartmann the chance to desert, which he accepts. When Grau, who is now a Lieutenant Colonel, learns of the murder, committed in the same manner as the first, he resumes his investigation and concludes that Tanz is the killer. However, his timing is unfortunate, because the very next day is the 20 July assassination attempt. While Grau is accusing Tanz face to face, word arrives that Hitler has survived, so Tanz kills Grau and labels him as one of the plot conspirators to cover his tracks.


It has become clear for the military police captain that this very repulsive murder has been committed by a general of the Wehrmacht, and despite all the evil of the Nazi regime behind the front, a general of the German Army is nevertheless not allowed to commit sexual murders. The captain discovers that at the time of the murder only three German generals were present in Warsaw; he then decides to find out which of them is the killer.


The three generals are Tanz, Kahlenberg and Seydlitz-Gabler. The first is a sadist, who believes that a general is worth more than thousands of men. The only person he ever loved was a (male) soldier who died in his arms whispering the name of a woman that to General Tanz's mind was a whore.


The reader understands which of the generals is guilty, and other murders follow in his tracks, but still the investigating captain is not certain and lacks proof. The war ends, and the final chapter is written in West Berlin, when the investigator, all three former generals, the Polish old man, and the chief of the new East German Volkspolizei gather.


In Poland in 1942, General Tanz (Peter O'Toole) behaves like a fanatic, unnecessarily leveling an entire district of Warsaw. The General is an unyielding martinet with a perverse penchant for cleanliness and discipline. Fellow generals Kahlenberge (Donald Pleasance) and von Seidlitz-Gabler (Charles Gray) worry about Tanz's extremism -- but are mostly concerned with their own careers. They pay little attention when the lower-ranked Major Grau (Omar Sharif), a military investigator, fixates on the sex killing of a Polish prostitute. When Grau insists that an unidentified general is the murderer, he's shipped away to duty in Paris. Meanwhile, von Seidlitz-Gabler's daughter Ulrike (Joanna Pettet), rebelling against the viciousness of the war and her own priggish mother, Eleanore (Coral Browne), has an affair with Corporal Hartmann (Tom Cortenay), a staff aide to Kahlenberge. Hartmann was awarded the Iron Cross as a face-saving gesture, not for bravery: all he wants is out of the war.


The killings are not shown, and neither are the dead bodies; all we learn is that they have been 'butchered' -- and that General Tanz's style of warfare on the Eastern front got him the nickname, 'Butcher.' Pettet and Courtenay romp around in bed a bit, but the film's only really adult moment comes when Pleasance's General gives Courtenay's Corporal Hartmann his instructions for entertaining Tanz for a night. He must find Tanz a woman, if that's what he wants. But if Tanz takes a liking to Hartmann, well, the Corporal is supposed to do his duty to his country. I guess there was never much of a lobby to defend the historical reputation of Nazi officers.


The production values are a bit lopsided. Alexandre Trauner's marvelous sets are so good that we cannot readily tell which scenes are real locations and which were filmed on a back lot. We'd be fully into the movie's illusion if it weren't for the costumes, and the lighting. The costuming is never more than adequate, and Joanna Pettet's character is harmed by her nondescript clothing (and her hairstyle). She wears plain blouses and skirts that make her look more like a London schoolgirl than anything German: we learn next to nothing about her from her appearance. Trauner's sets look great night exteriors, but the interiors are all very brightly lit, even in scenes of intrigue. Even the cars General Tanz rides around in have bright interior lighting, which looks very wrong.


This is odd because Anatole Litvak was known for impressive atmospheres and moods in his 1940s pictures. His realistic and expressive Decision at Dawn puts us square in the middle of the chaos of Germany right at the end of the war. The Night of the Generals chooses to downplay other factors in favor of a grand narrative that jumps back and forth between the war years, and the present: 1965. The flash-forwards to 1965 take away some of the tension of the main story. Now an agent of Interpol, Philippe Noiret works to resolve Major Grau's old case. We see what's become of the generals and the aides, some of whom are prospering in the rebuilt West Germany. General Tanz is just emerging from twenty years in prison, to be given a party by his old SS comrades. We keep waiting for the movie to say something comparing the evil of mass mayhem sanctioned by war, to the nasty killings by a lone psychotic murderer. Omar Sharif's Grau understands the irony, but neither he nor Noiret's Morand draw any conclusions. Earlier in the movie, we really expect someone to stay to Major Grau, "Honestly Major, accusing someone of murder out here is like handing out speeding tickets at the Indianapolis 500." But that's another story.


German intelligence officer Major Grau attempts to identify the man responsible for two brutal murders in countries occupied by the Nazis during World War II. The evidence in the 1942 murder of a Warsaw prostitute points to one of three Nazi generals, but Grau is posted to Paris where, in 1944, an almost identical crime is committed.


Dolly macht Karriere (1930) Nie wieder Liebe (1931) Cœur de lilas (1932) Das Lied einer Nacht (1932) Tell Me Tonight (1932) La Chanson d'une nuit (1932) Sleeping Car (1933) Cette vieille canaille (1933) L'Ɖquipage (1935) Mayerling (1936) The Woman I Love (1937) Tovarich (1937) The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1928) The Sisters (1938) Confessions of a Nazi Spy (1939) Castle on the Hudson (1940) All This, and Heaven Too (1940) City for Conquest (1940) Out of the Fog (1941) Blues in the Night (1941) This Above All (1942) The Long Night (1947) Sorry, Wrong Number (1948) The Snake Pit (1948) Decision Before Dawn (1951) Act of Love (1953) The Deep Blue Sea (1955) Anastasia (1956) The Journey (1959) Goodbye Again (1961) Five Miles to Midnight (1962) The Night of the Generals (1967) The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun (1970)


On returning to headquarters General Walker's troops were just coming up the road; delivered message. General Johnston rode off to put Mercer in position behind Stewart; was soon followed by General Mackall. After remaining behind a short time to forward dispatches, &c., join the general on high hill to the left of point where Dalton dirt road and railroad meet. About 6 p. m., Hood driving enemy rapidly. I am sent to tell him that Mr. Wigfall had just taken two brigades of General Walker's division in behind Stewart; that a third brigade of Walker's would soon be up (part of Loring's division; Featherston's brigade also brought up.) I was directed to say also that preparations must be made to continue the movement (swinging around our right) at daylight next morning. "Let the troops understand it." Rhode up Dalton and Resaca dirt road in search of General Hood; inquired but could learn nothing of him; turned back to near the hill where I started from and went up the railroad. There, in a cut where Stewart's line was in the morning, were Generals Johnston, Hood, Walker, and Mackall. I reported to latter I had taken wrong road, &c. Presently two prisoners were brought in and questioned by the generals; not communicative. A third brought up said their line of battle ran northeast and southwest; he belonged to Whitaker's brigade, Stanley's division, Fourth Army Corps. They expected to be victorious, had massed their forces near our bridge. About dark Wheeler came up to the cut, and after consulting brought up his cavalry which went out the railroad. All then rode in to the little house behind Seleden's battery where headquarters are at night.


The enemy did not offer much resistance to Hood's right; batteries libeled up and fell back at the approach of our skirmish line. All in good spirits at gaining ground and the railroad, and at the prospect of renewing the attack at daylight and cutting the enemy off from Snake Creek Gap. On the way to headquarters for the night it was found that a severe engagement had taken place on Polk's line. As we attacked on the right, Sherman, supposing our left weakened, promptly assaulted our lines and the battle raged hotly according to all accounts for an hour and a half. The firing, strange to say, was not heard where we were. Major Clare says he reported that the enemy had effected a lodgment on the hill opposite tot he house where headquarters were established the night of General Johnston's arrival from Dalton.


When we reached the house heavy firing of musketry was going on. Accounts confused. Some said hill was to be retaken; two regiments were ordered to retake it by one of the generals on the line. Hardee at headquarters on General Johnston's arrival; General Hood had accompanied the general. About same time news received from General Martin that enemy had crossed Oostenaula (two divisions). Featherston, of Lorinng's command, who had been sent to report to Hood, was ordered to move promptly and occupy trenches south of Selden's battery. Walker and staff sent for. Only six of 041b061a72


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