So much average

Good movie but grossly overrated

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

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.

I have to admit to having high hopes for "Night of the Generals." My previous viewing experience was 20 years ago when my brother rented the video. Alas, my expectations were only half met. The film suffers from a rather clumsy narrative as it keeps shifting from The Second World War to what was then modern day 1966. I found the constant shift in emphasis to be irksome as the film didn't seem to know which setting it was focusing on. In addition, the story about a German officer who investigates the murder of a prostitute in Nazi occupied Poland, took a backseat to what was really a general look at army life amongst the Nazis. Peter O' Toole doesn't really take centre stage as he should have done. He is out of the film for many minutes at a time and that disappointed me. The same applies to Omar Sharif as the officer investigating the murder. Luckily, the film does maintain my attention and interest, thanks to a brilliant supporting cast. We have Tom Courtenay, Donald Pleasence, Charles Gray, John Gregson, Harry Andrews, Christopher Plummer and others. Peter O' Toole - when he is in the film - gives an outstanding performance as the cold and ruthless killer in "Night of the Generals." His blue eyes look almost piercing. Not the classic I was expecting but still good.

At surface level it would be easy to dismiss 'Night Of The Generals' because from a purely cinematic perspective it has a lot of flaws:* Some rather stilted direction from Anatole Litvak * Flashbacks awkwardly and randomly inserted * Distraction of German characters speaking with a variety of non-German accents (including Gordon Jackson in his traditional Scottish accent!) * Unnecessary scenes (such as Christopher Plummer's cameo as Rommel) that could've easily been excisedBut on a broader level, NOTG is quite a fascinating film. Its observations on the importance of pursuing criminal acts even in wartime, how even those who commit heinous acts in wartime will be forgiven if they live long enough and the impact on individuals and general society WW2 even a generation onwards are quite profound.In a funny way, if NOTG had been a slicker, smoother film it might have been less effective. It's so ambitious in the territory it covers and how it covers it that you genuinely don't know where the film will go next. As a result, the scene where Colonel Grau is murdered comes out of the blue and is genuinely shocking like few deaths I can recall seeing in a film.To be sure, 'Night Of The Generals' is a far from perfect film. But in terms of a commentary on WW2 and its ramifications, its one of the best I've seen.

In the great gallery of movie villains, General Tanz is my all time favorite. Peter O'Toole is simply fabulous as a deranged, vicious, physically splendid and overall very intriguing Nazi general. Every scene with O'Toole is a treat, and Tom Courtenay as the young corporal who's assigned to escort him is also very good. The two of them have great chemistry and they are both interesting, fundamentally different characters, which makes their interactions fascinating to watch.Just look at O'Toole's face, in the bar scene with the girl, or the final scene- he's amazing! The nuances and depth achieved with a single glance or an eyebrow movement! Looking predatory and strangely vulnerable in the same time, only Peter O'Toole can make this possible.Donald Pleasence, Omar Sharif and Christopher Plummer are remarkable and they make unforgettable characters. Some scenes between Sharif and Noiret may be too long, and the 20 year gap between events may be too much (they don't seem to get old either), but the movie is overall very good. And there is finally a clean, properly restored DVD with "The Night of the Generals", definitely worth having in your collection.