The Odessa File (1974, United Kingdom)
conspiracy theoriesinvestigative journalism
Running time: 130 minutes
Language: English
German journalist Peter Miller follows an ambulance that is arriving at an address, where an elderly Jewish Holocaust survivor has committed suicide. Miller finds a diary of the dead man and reads the story of Eduard Roschmann, the SS officer, who ran the concentration camp during the war. Miller learns that Roschmann survived the war and, with the help of a secret organisation called Odessa, avoided being caught by Allied forces, so he wasn’t put to trial for his crimes. The story first seems unbelievable, but Miller is determined to confirm the story and later find the whereabouts of Roschmann, especially since he was seen lately in Germany. But to catch Roschmann, or the people who were helping him to hide, Miller will have to take a great risk...
The film based on the Frederick Forsyth novel tells the fictitious story, although the Odessa organisation might have existed after World War 2 and helped former SS members to escape from Germany, change their identity and avoid being judged for their war crimes. The film is a typical Forsyth story with elements of espionage, secret organisations and political elements, which put together build a tense atmosphere. The only weak point of that production was the rather slow pace of the movie.
Can you solve a mystery like this one?
Our rating |
8 / 10 |
Movie value |
7 / 10 |
Realism factor |
2 / 5 |
Adventure factor |
4 / 5 |
Story complexity |
2 / 5 |
150 |
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Watch The Odessa File
Creators of The Odessa File
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director | |
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Cast of The Odessa File
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as Peter Miller | |
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as Eduard Roschmann | |
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as Frau Miller | |
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as Sigi | |
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as Klaus Wenzer |
