Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- brooding
- lurid
- paranoid
- classic thriller night
- historical mystery viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly find the film atmospheric and potentially engrossing, but unevenly paced and weakened by lurid sensationalism once the killer's identity becomes apparent.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Major Grau investigates a serial killer among German generals while the army's command structure shields potential suspects.
The murder inquiry is interwoven with the high command's plan to assassinate Adolf Hitler in occupied Paris.
The suspected general's murders echo the wider atrocities and protections enabled by military rank during the war.
Occupied Warsaw and Paris provide the dark, politically charged urban environments for Grau's investigation and the generals' evasions.
Films like The Night of the Generals, and why
The Third Man
world war ii setting, investigative mystery, moral ambiguity, and neo-noir atmosphere
The Man Who Came to Dinner
wartime conspiracy, political intrigue, and morally compromised authority figures
M
serial-killer investigation, psychological menace, and brooding crime-thriller tension
The Eagle Has Landed
world war ii espionage, German military conspiracy, and tense historical drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Anatole Litvak
- Release Date
- 1967-01-29
- Runtime
- 148 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (191)
Cast
- Peter O'Toole
- Omar Sharif
- Tom Courtenay
- Donald Pleasence
- Joanna Pettet
- Philippe Noiret
- Charles Gray
- Coral Browne
- John Gregson
- Nigel Stock
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Night of the Generals about?
- A principled German intelligence major hunts a serial killer concealed within the Nazi military hierarchy as war and conspiracy engulf Europe.
- What is The Night of the Generals like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Night of the Generals as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Night of the Generals violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Night of the Generals as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Night of the Generals?
- Critics broadly find the film atmospheric and potentially engrossing, but unevenly paced and weakened by lurid sensationalism once the killer's identity becomes apparent.
- Which films are like The Night of the Generals?
- Films with a similar feel include The Third Man, The Man Who Came to Dinner, M, and The Eagle Has Landed.
- How long is The Night of the Generals?
- The Night of the Generals runs 148 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Night of the Generals?
- In United States, The Night of the Generals is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
