Cubussoli
Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
Vashirdfel
Simply A Masterpiece
Forumrxes
Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.
verna-a
My favourite war movie, 36 Hours is a taut and engrossing thriller. I first saw at the time it was released and never forgot the memorable story line, although it took me more than 4 decades to track it down again. It trades heavily on the viewer's buy-in regarding the importance of the success of D-Day in saving the free world. It's funny that although we're all well aware that the D-Day landings succeeded we can't help being genuinely fearful while viewing the film about the Germans getting the details in advance, and that keeps us on the edge of or seats. Other critics feel the suspense lapses when the jig is initially up with hero, but I beg to differ. At that stage other elements are introduced. Our sympathy with the heroine Anna is developed by learning more about her, and similarly the character of the German doctor Walter Gerber becomes more interesting as his tense relationship with the Nazi side deteriorates.It truly ain't over til it's over in this film with the humour introduced by the unpredictable John Banner character. Finally, my favourite bit of all is at the end of the film. It's subtle and full of sentiment without being in the least sentimental. Well done! I'd rank 36 Hours an 8/10 overall. The missing points are because of the lack of any attempt to provide costumes and hairstyles in period, and because I feel the lovely Rod Taylor is miscast in the role of the doctor.
Terrell-4
George Seaton was a Hollywood A-level writer and director who could tell a story efficiently and professionally. He also knew movies had to sell tickets to be successful. He kept that in mind while creating, often with William Perlberg as producer, movies that were satisfyingly A caliber and watchable, even when they were serious by Hollywood standards. He didn't mind threading in irony or even a message or two, but usually these were plot driven. Seaton, in other words, knew his way around. And so we have 36 Hours. It's not about the terrible conflicts of wartime exigencies as The Counterfeit Traitor is. It's not a sad, uncomfortable story of love and sacrifice that The Country Girl is. And it's certainly not a bit of romantic fluff as Teacher's Pet is. 36 Hours is a fine, efficient, wartime yarn, nothing more, nothing less...and that, for me, is good enough. Major Jefferson Pike (James Garner) is an Allied intelligence officer who has been flying between London and Lisbon to pick up information from a clerk in the German embassy. It's May 31, 1944. Pike is ordered to make one more flight...and the success of the Allied invasion only days away may hang in the balance. Hitler is convinced the invasion will take place in the Pas de Calais region. The Allies are doing everything possible to the keep the real location at Normandy from leaking out. The Germans, of course, are doing every thing they can to either confirm Pas de Calais or learn the real location. German agents, with Pike now in Lisbon, slip him a mickey. When he wakes up he's in a U. S. Army hospital in Germany. It's May 15, 1950. His American doctor (Rod Taylor) tells him he's been in a coma for six years. Germany lost and the Allies occupy the country. Wilkie is President. Former president Roosevelt is recuperating again at Warm Springs, Georgia. G.I. patients greet Pike by name. U. S. doctors aid his recovery. And now that the war is won, there's no secret about where in France the Allies actually invaded six years earlier. So tell us about it, they ask Pike. Pike's doctor, of course, is a German. Major Walter Gerber (Rod Taylor) is a skilled psychologist. The "U. S. military hospital" is a phony, a carefully prepared installation near the Swiss border where everyone -- patients, doctors, nurses -- are Germans carefully selected for their flawless English. And speaking of nurses, Pike's nurse, Anna Hedler (Eva Marie Saint), is introduced as his wife. Gerber has organized all this in a life-or-death gamble. He must convince Pike -- within 36 hours -- to volunteer the location of the invasion of France. Gerber, however, has someone watching over his shoulder. Otto Schack, a Gestapo interrogator, is equally convinced the experiment will fail. He is pressing to use the proved methods of Gestapo interrogation. All this makes for an intriguing and clever, if unlikely, con. But it works. We sure outfoxed the Germans with Normandy, Pike says, and gives the details with pride. But then Pike notices a small paper cut on his hand which is barely healed...a paper cut he now remembers getting two days ago in London. He realizes what must be happening. The con game now becomes a deadly cat and mouse game. Somehow he must convince Gerber and Schack that he knew what was going on all along and had conned them into thinking he had deliberately misled them away from the Pas de Calais. The last third of the movie -- now with the Germans conned thanks in part to lousy weather on June 5 -- becomes a race for Pike to save his skin. Can Pike escape and make it across the border to Switzerland? Will Gerber prove he's a good German and help? And will Pike take with him Anna, a woman who was forced into her role by threats to return her to Ravensbruck? Garner serves up a puzzled, troubled man who finally figures out the score. Taylor gives us a dedicated German who, however uneasily, realizes his "experiment" has personal costs he didn't bargain on. Saint does a fine job in a role that doesn't give much latitude. And John Banner, as an aging, fat German Home Guard sergeant who shows up during the movie's last 15 minutes, nearly steals the show. Weak spots? Otto Schack. He's just an old-style Hollywood Gestapo man, slimy and opportunistic. Seaton also gives both Saint and Taylor turgid opportunities to reflect on their past and, in Gerber's case, his good motives. And as professional and experienced a screenwriter as Seaton was, the movie at nearly two hours could use some trimming. Still, 36 hours is just what it is, a good war yarn built around a clever double con. We should count our blessings.
denscul
Mr. Dahl, who was a fighter pilot during WWI, was captured by the Germans and held prisoner for a short time. With those credentials, he was certainly in the position of writing a credible story/film. However, the plot and story line became tedious for this viewer because Intelligence officers, even Nazi's were not inclined to spend so much effort in a plan that was easily doomed to failure. Just imagine yourself in James Garner's position as the American with info about the D Day invasion. In the first place, a Major is not likely to know what the German's want to know. Both sides had major disinformation campaigns operating. The Nazi's actually knew the Allied plans, they just didn't believe them, because Hitler had decided the attack was coming at the Pas DeCalais, the shortest distance between Europe and England. He refused to believe the reality of the Normandy invasion, for days. Many German General's suspected Normandy would be the intended target, they also knew how futile changing Hitler's mind would be.Hitler, a corporal during WWI, was not a professional soldier, as a politician and head of state, he frequently refused to take professional advice, which caused the end of his regime more than any other factor. Knowing all this in 1965, it was hard for me to accept the concept of this story. I knew that the German's had discovered through a spy in the British embassy in Turkey, solid proof the name of Overlord, the date, and place. The information came from the British Ambassador's safe, a much more credible source than what an American Major might know, considering the deception plans of the time.Without knowing the history of the times, today's viewers should consider this. If you were told 6 years had passed from your life, you certainly would want to get on the phone and tell someone. If you were at an alleged American base, there would be no credible reason you could not make a call to someone, the planners of this deception could anticipate. A trained intelligence officer, would immediately suspect the reality of the situation far quicker than it took Garner. In real life, the planners of such an operation would realize this hurdle would be insurmountable, and go on to other methods. The props of the film are wonderful, the nurses, American Jeeps, the role played by Rod Cameron, as the fake American. Obviously, they could fool any one for about 5 minutes. Good fiction must be logical however clever it is hidden. Wouldn't you want to call someone if you just found out you were six years older, the war was over, and how was so and so back home?The Nazi's couldn't anticipate who you would call, and what questions would be asked.James Bond movies were just hitting the theaters, at the time this film was made. They were enjoyable because they did not try to be serious. You didn't have to believe they were believable. They were outrageous, and most of Bond's exploits were just as far fetched as the plot of 36 hours. But 36 hours would have you believe that its story line was plausible, at least until Garner discovered he was being duped It took too long, the character played by Eva Maria Saint was even less credible than Rod Cameron's character. But for the sake of a happy ending with a girl at the end of the rainbow, 36 hours is unfortunately a contrived story that made it seem more like a TV show rather than a good film.
Boba_Fett1138
Of some movies it's just amazing to see how unknown and under-appreciated they are. "36 Hours" should had been a classic movie by now, since it has all the right ingredients for it in it but it yet remains a fairly unknown WW II thriller, despite it's great cast and writers involved.What makes this movie so great is how incredibly and refreshing original this movie is, though in the end the movie does become a bit too formulaic. The concept of the movie is great thriller material. A couple of days before D-Day, an American major is captured by the Germans during World War II. They attempt to brainwash him into believing that years have past and the war is over and that he is safe in an Allied hospital, so that he will tell about the Allied invasion plans, involving the Normandy invasion, as if they have happened in the past time. It's a real psychological thriller, that due to its story also has a certain unpleasant and unreal science-fiction like atmosphere all over it. The movie has some great and solid thriller moments in it, that makes this movie an unforgettable one and an extremely underrated one in its genre. It's sort of too bad that in the end the movie gets overwritten, by leaving its original concept and turning into a more formulaic WW II thriller genre movie, that tries to look more clever and complicated than it in fact really is. The movie could had definitely- and perhaps also should had been 20 minutes shorter and should had ended earlier. It downgrades the movie but definitely not enough to prevent this movie from being a great and original one.The movie has a great thriller build up. featuring lots of spy elements in it. It's psychological, while the second halve turns into more physical, which is also one of the reasons why the second halve of the movie does not works as good as the first. It isn't the fastest going movie, like we're accustomed to from '60's movies. Not that it matters though. The movie is good and tense enough to keep your interest for its entire running time, without ever looking at the clock.It was a good choice that the movie was filmed entirely in atmospheric black & white. It gives the movie a more authentic feeling, as well as a unpleasant and almost alien like feeling. Luckily the movie also features some well placed and refreshing humor, to keep things light and also provide the movie with a certain entertainment-level.James Garner is good and also believable in his role. He also shares some good screen time with Rod Taylor who also gives a good performance and plays an unpredictable character. Really great in her role was Eva Marie Saint, one year before she and James Garner would team up again for "Grand Prix". She plays a great and strong female character. Really not that many actresses around in the '60's to play a role like that and do it so believable as she did. It definitely makes Eva Marie Saint one of the best actresses of her generation. Let's hope that "Superman Returns" won't be her last role. Werner Peters also plays a good stereotypical like SS-officer, who in a way is the comical note of the movie, though in the end his character turns more and more evil.A movie most definitely worth seeing, if you get the chance to.8/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
