Rosebud (1975)

A disaster. Forget the inflammatory political suppositions, the film is a disgrace on just about every level. A group of wealthy girls is kidnapped by the PLA(?) and CIA operative Peter O'Toole is brought in to locate them in director Otto Preminger's woefully misguided "thriller." The director, usually one of the most sure footed technicians, really loses his touch with this film. There are times when the camera pans so quickly, one is left wondering if Preminger is unable to recall who or what the focus of action should be. Scripted by Preminger's son, the movie is neither suspenseful nor exciting. It's muddled, at times awkward and almost completely miscast. O'Toole, a replacement for Robert Mitchum, literally mugs at the camera in a few scenes and the rest of the actors appear either fleetingly (Peter Lawford is in one scene) or look ridiculous (Richard Attenborough as a Brit who's running a terrorist outfit from a cave in Lebanon). And just WHAT is former NYC mayor John V. Lindsay doing in this? Fortunately for Preminger, he had one more film in him (THE HUMAN FACTOR) which turned out to be one if his best.

The most famous clue in cinema history is the title of this film by Otto Preminger about the kidnapping of five young girls who are the daughters of prominent individuals in their countries by the Black September terrorists. Rosebud instead of being the childhood toy sled of Charles Foster Kane is the name of a yacht where the girls are kidnapped from.The Seventies were the first decade of Islamic terror and certainly it was a hot button topic. How then could Otto Preminger make such a boring film as this is beyond me. Certainly for the man who took such loving care in making Exodus, the survival of Israel was an issue near and dear to his heart. The players look like they were sleep walking through their roles. The head of Black September in this film is of all people Richard Attenborough who plays an English scholar who converted to Islam and there's nothing like the zeal of a convert. He's actually based on a real life character Abdullah Philby who was the father of Communist spy Harold Kim Philby. Abdullah was a Mid-east scholar who did in fact convert to Islam. He never participated in anything like Black September however. Through a little detective work by Peter O'Toole, a British mercenary working for the American CIA, the girls are set free and Attenborough captured. How it's done is for you to see if you want to watch Rosebud. It should only be as easy to capture Osama as it was to take Attenborough in this film. Quite ridiculous and I know you'll agree if you bother to watch.Nice location cinematography in Europe and America is all this film really has to recommend it. That and an attempt by former Mayor John V. Lindsay of New York to get an acting career going. He plays a United States Senator five years before he actually tried to become one.

After reading so many reviewers opinions written against this film, I am very glad I saw it tonight. It is the 70's "Syriana" and/or "Munich." It is NOT James Bond, thank god! O'Toole was fine by my taste, just as I'd like a Newsweek-writer-cum-CIA-agent to be portrayed. I especially enjoy his verbal banter w/ the one the father's of the kidnap victims, and his verbal battle w/ the German dyke, photo shop owner. While some reviewers complain that the pacing is s-l-o-w, it requires just this type of feel for what is a docu-film disguising itself as a studio release. The few scenes w/ Attenborough are all that is needed to establish the evil in terrorism. It's no coincidence this film was made in the 70's ... our little geo-political landscape hasn't changed.

OK so the plot moved a bit slowly, and the dialog was stiff - but one thing stands out. This thing reeks of history. It is a terrorist film decades before its time. It features Palestinian commando's (headed by Arafat, who is mentioned by name)it mentions the Black September group by name. In one scene a top Palestinian (couldn't tell if it was supposed to be Arafat or not) explains the meaning of Jihad or holy war.Kinda makes one wonder if anyone in our State Department ever saw this movie? I give it a better than average rating simply because its got the historical context correct - - and was decades ahead of its time.