Review of The Osterman Weekend (1983) by Noel V — 18 Sep 2010

The Ostermann Weekend is Peckinpah's last film, and he's still teaching us what action filmmaking's all about. Yes, you can cut fast, yes you can do fancy stuff like intercutting across different actions, but clarity's still possible, beauty and balletic grace are still possible despite the complex material.

The script is crap--even Peckinpah didn't have much respect for it, much less Ludlum (my respect for Peckinpah goes up a notch, accordingly), but this is as good an example as any of how to pull something brilliantine and harsh and startling out of a piece of manure.