mark.waltz So says the wise old Jewish man, a Holocaust survivor who witnessed many atrocities and sought to bring one particularly evil Nazi to justice. But years have gone by, his spirit broken over the brutal murder of his wife, and death takes him mysteriously. For German journalist Jon Voight, reading this dead man's journal opens him up to a Nazi hunt, finding some shocking revelations along the way and finding his very existence in jeopardy as his life is threatened with several "convenient" accidents.Set right after the assassination of President Kennedy, this deals with evil powers attempting a return and more than determined to complete what they started. Flashbacks to the evils of the Holocaust show the genuine pleasures that S.S. officers took in torturing their Jewish prisoners before killing them, and surviving officer Maximilian Schell is the worst of them all. Voight realizes the evils of what he's dealing with right away, but this isn't a story he can sweep under the rug. Like Woodward and Bernstein with Watergate, he becomes obsessed with it.One of the powerful messages in this riveting political thriller is the warning that uncaptured enemies of the state can be more dangerous on the run than they were when at their height. The Odessa mission becomes about preventing the return of evil groups like this and warn other extremist groups that horrific terrors like this will be vigorously investigated and brought down. Considering that this was 27 years before 9/11, this message resonates today and makes this truly profound and nail biting. This is a different kind of cold war, combining several different styles of thrillers. Unlike "Marathon Man", which costarred Voight's "Midnight Cowboy" costar Dustin Hoffman, this is pretty much forgotten, but that doesn't make it any less memorable...and a must!

AaronCapenBanner Based on Fredrick Forsyth's novel, and well directed by Ronald Neame, this thriller stars Jon Voight as journalist Peter Miller, who, after reading the diary of a suicide victim, learns of a recent sighting of a fugitive S.S. death camp commander(played by Maximilian Schell) so works with an underground Israeli group to infiltrate Odessa, a group comprised of fugitive Nazis, dedicated to aiding them evade authorities and set them up financially. He succeeds in joining the group, but we later learn that Peter has an ulterior motive in his mission... Future "Doctor Who" companion Mary Tamm plays his girlfriend Sigi, who supports him all she can, even at risk of her own life.Another smart and engrossing thriller from a Forsyth novel is also well acted and exciting, leading to a good climax. A bit incredible at times, but entertaining.

Tweekums This thriller opens in 1963 with a brief prologue where we see Israeli intelligence officers discussing an Egyptian plan to launch a biochemical attack on Israel; the only thing the Egyptians require is a missile component being made in West Germany. The action then moves to West Germany where Peter Miller, a freelance reporter with an eye for a story, follows an ambulance only to discover it was just going to an old man who had committed suicide. The next day the investigating police officer gives Peter the old man's dairy thinking it might make a human interest story... it does far more than that though; it tells of how he had survived Riga concentration camp where he'd seen his wife killed at the orders of camp commandant Eduard Roschmann, the dairy goes on to allege that Roschmann is still alive having been given a new identity by an organisation known as ODESSA. Having read the dairy Miller is determined to find Roschmann and expose ODESSA; it soon becomes clear it reaches deep into the West German state and it isn't long before an attempt is made on his life. With few clues in Germany he heads to Vienna to see Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal; not long after that he is approached by Israeli intelligence; they have a plan to send him undercover into ODESSA; a dangerous task where exposure could mean death but success could destroy ODESSA.Most thrillers seem to be packed with action however this one keeps things tense with a feeling of almost constant danger; this means when the few action scenes do come they feel more intense. Jon Voight does a fine job as protagonist Peter Miller; it was good to have a thriller about Nazis where the hero is German; even if he isn't played by one! Maximilian Schell only has a fairly small role as Roschmann but he makes the character quite chilling due to the way he first denies having anything to do with the slaughter in Riga, then making out that it was nothing important then finally boasting of the greatness of the SS. The story is well told and kept me gripped from the moment we learnt the contents of the old man's dairy... just the time Miller got gripped by the story too! If there is a flaw it was the suddenness of the end and the way he managed to find Roschmann alone in a castle; still the story demanded that they be alone together for their final talk so that improbability can be forgiven. Overall this is definitely worth watching if you like your thrillers tense and don't demand nonstop action and special effects.

Neil Doyle THE ODESSA FILE is filmed in authentic European locations which give the story an added touch of realism, the kind needed in this sort of espionage thriller. JON VOIGHT does an excellent job of portraying a journalist who comes across a journal vividly describing what happened at a Nazi internment camp during the last days of WWII. He decides to go on a personal hunt for the much hated man he believes caused the death of some 80,000 Jews (MAXIMILIAN SCHELL). In doing so, he also reveals another purpose that will come as a surprise at the story's conclusion.But first he searches for "The Odessa File," full of documents on a band of former SS German soldiers who are now operating a secret society of former war criminals who still hold firmly to their former beliefs. The plot thickens once he begins to tackle the assignment, pitted against members who want him out of the way lest their true identities be revealed.Not quite as brilliant as THE DAY OF THE JACKAL, it's a Frederick Forsyth thriller that deserves the attention of anyone looking for an intelligent, well-paced thriller that benefits from excellent cinematography and a good background score with some music courtesy of Andrew Lloyd Webber long before his big show biz fame. The action scenes are handled for maximum effect and the final confrontation between Voigt and Schell makes for a satisfying climax.