Review of The Odessa File (1974) by Forrest P — 12 Feb 2011

The Odessa File is an early Jon Voight and Ronald Neame film that saves itself from falling flat on its face in the third act.

Jon Voigt, perhaps better known for Midnight Cowboy and Deliverance, plays journalist Peter Miller who is hunting down an ex-commandant of the SS. The film plays off as a spy/mystery film that has every bit of heart as any other I've seen. Which is good, because the blase direction by Ronald Neame was less than satisfactory. Neame is well known for his work on 1972's The Poseidon Adventure and the 1970 version of Scrooge. I'd say that this shows the relative variety that this director since the former film was a disaster thriller and the latter was a Christmas musical. He's definitely a capable director, so it is a shame that he did not put more life into his direction with this film. The tension doesn't always work and even the one fight scene in the film seems rather silly in its weakness. It wasn't until the third act of this film that I really started to enjoy the direction of the film. Before then, it had a lot lacking in terms of style. All the same, Neame was a good filmmaker. He died this past year at the age of 99, a death that was, unfortunately, a little overlooked.

The acting in this film was really unsatisfying. Aside from Jon Voight, the actors in this film lacked screen presence and often times lacked genuine emotional responses to the scenes they were in. They really don't succeed at conveying their emotion and usually sound like they're reading directly off the script. The film could have been much better cast. The only bright spot was the lead, Voight. He *does* have screen presence and manages to do more with the role than what I think the script calls for. Which is good. There are a few hokey moments in his performance, but for the most part, he kept me interested in the story.

The story of The Odessa File was probably the best asset. It really was quite intriguing to watch unfold. Had it not been for that, I most likely would not have enjoyed the first half of the movie at all. The weak acting and direction during the first half put a distance between me and the film. After awhile, though, the director seemed to get a footing for what he was going for and the film became more enjoyable. But this truly is a fascinating story. It's a shame that it's so unheard of, but then it does not offer a whole lot besides its story.

I think any audience who gives this film a chance will remain interested throughout the course of the picture, though, especially if they can get through the uninspired first half. The second half is certainly worth seeing, particularly the scene toward the very end when Voight finally confronts the German ex-commandant he had been looking for. The scene raises questions of morality and the necessity of continuing to make ex-Nazi's pay for their war crimes during the Holocaust. It's well done and, at the end of the day, enjoyable. I liked The Odessa File, but I still wish it had been handled better.

6/10.