The Odessa File (1974)

Ronald Neame - Director

Kenneth Ross, George Markstein –Screenplay (based on the novel by Frederick Forsyth)

Andrew Lloyd Webber- Score

Jon Voight

Turns out Angelina’s not the only with action chops. Her father takes a star turn as a 70’s Jason Bourne, chasing down Nazis, changing identities, fightin’ the bad guys and being basically an all around 70’s bad ass.

The movie, set is picturesque Austria and Germany, sets the stage for an action drama with German crime journalist, Paul Miller (Voight), following a lead found in the diary of a Riga Concentration Camp victim after his recent suicide. The diary purports that sadistic former SS officer Eduard Roschmann, “The Butcher of Riga,” (Maximillian Schell) is still alive and well, despite being thought dead since the war’s end in 1945. Following his investigative instincts, Miller sets off on a cross continental journey to uncover Odessa, a group of former Nazis being protected by the government. With help from his girlfriend (a ditzy, classic 70’s archetype played by Mary Tamm) and an underground group of Israeli agents vowed to take down Nazi war criminals, he finds that Roschmann has more of a connection to him than he thought.

Yes, The Odessa File has elements of a James Bond-esque movie. Between chase scenes, gun fights, and suspenseful “will he be discovered?” moments, it is a mystery action through and through. But it also has the wonderful, and at the same time utterly ridiculous, 70’s aspects that are lost in today’s hi tech explosions and obsession with constant action. Throughout the film, Miller clumsily scales trees and trestle drawbridges, locates conveniently placed hidden entrances to castle basements, navigates ancient manors and underground basements full to capacity with twisted corridors and passageways as though he himself had designed them, and traverses a series of rickety staircases and heavy wooden doors without making nary a peep or being spotted by any of the apparently well trained former Nazi guards. Simply amazing. All accomplished while sporting an incredibly fetching array of matching turtleneck-leisure pant ensembles and hair coiffed to perfection (need I mention the ever popular 70's music?) Whereas a Bourne or Bond would be leaping off 35 ft high walls, dropping into an aikido roll and coming up perfectly positioned next to a gassed up and running Audi A6, Miller chooses to hide his Mercedes in a modest clump of trees, mere feet from the guard station, wander through bushes quite literally holding a branch in front of his face for camouflage before flattening himself against a wall in order not to be spotted by a passing guard –a maneuver I thought was reserved for the type of children who believed closing their eyes rendered themselves invisible.

The Odessa File has the wonderful classic throwback charm of the earlier Bonds and the added bonus of actually incorporating a number of true facts (Roschmann, “The Butcher of Riga” did exist and, after the exposure of the Odessa, was actually captured and arrested in Argentina.) For those looking for a cgi experience with trucks being blown to smithereens and whole cities coming down in ruins, you might be disappointed. But for anyone who can appreciate an action film, 70’s style, it’s definitely worth checking out.