 |  | THE MAN IN THE GLASS BOOTH |  |
The film begins on the balcony of a luxurious penthouse apartment in New York City overlooking Central Park. An obviously wealthy, Jewish businessman, Arthur Goldman (Schell) is pontificating about seemingly random subjects to his loyal assistants. At first, he seems just eccentric but then you being to question his sanity. The line between sanity and eccentricity blurs even further as he sees his father (murdered in Auschwitz) working a food cart on the street below and as he begins to act paranoid over a blue Mercedes he believes is watching his apartment. Then, suddenly, two men (Israeli agents) break into his apartment and arrest/abduct him for being Adolph Dorf, the SS Colonel in charge of the concentration camp where Goldman's parents were killed. The scene moves to a jail cell in Jerusalem where the prosecutor fills Goldman/Dorf in on the charges and where he announces he will defend himself. The trial begins and Goldman/Dorf is put in a soundproof, bulletproof booth for his protection. I won't tell any more of the story but hang in there during the first half hour because here's where the story really gets interesting and Schell puts on a powerful performance worthy of his Oscar nomination. Who really is Goldman/Dorf. Is he the killer the Israelis believe or have they made a tragic mistake? What is the mental state of someone who has survived the holocaust while their family has been exterminated? Can the real truth be known? Originally, this was a stage play, and was adapted for the big screen as part of a project to bring the theater to the masses. It will leave you thinking much more deeply about the holocaust experience of the Jewish people. Not a light film by any means but worthwhile watching. www.lusreviews.blogspot.com.
May 27, 2008I saw this movie when it first appeared in Australia around 1975 and it has lost nothing of its excitement and magic. Maximilian Schell's performance is outstanding - I cannot understand why he didn't win an Oscar for it. All of the American Film Theatre productions are of a standard to which other movie-makers should aspire. This is highly recommended. I shall be purchasing others in the series.
August 23, 2007An absolutely riveting performance by Maximillian Schell. By the time this movie ended I was emotionally spent. A movie not to be missed!
June 3, 2007 | | I have been searching for this film for 32 years! | |
I had no idea that this film is finally available, and I'm delighted. I'll buy it at once. I saw it in its debut showing -- where i was living at that time (1975) while I was in college, and found it extraordinarily moving. I'm an appreciator of Maxillian Schell and found him at the top of his form in this film. In fact, I've searched for this film (call me crazy) every 3 or 4 years for the last 32 years in video rental stores, stores selling videos, and then where DVDs are sold. So I'm stunned it is finally out. That year (1975) the other standout film in the American Film Theatre production series (to which I had a subscription) was an avant guarde film that became a bit of a cult classic, and couldn't be more different, "The Maids."
January 1, 2007| | | Images of the Holocaust rekindled | |
That Maximilian Schell's outstanding acting performance in "The Man in the Glass Booth" did not garner a deserved Oscar is only made understandable by the fact that Jack Nicholson was honored for his portrayal of McMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". Schell was mesmerizing in his portrayal of bombastically eccentic and fabulously wealthy Jewish architect Arthur Goldman. Ensconsed in a palatial and luxuriously appointed penthouse apartment overlooking Central Park, Schell is served by his dutiful adminstrative assistant Charlie Cohn played by Lawrence Pressman.
An astute businessman, Schell is plagued by images from his past which included internment in a concentration camp. With Schell's flaky personality firmly established, the plot takes an unforseen twist. Schell is abducted by Israeli agents who spirit him back to Israel to stand trial as a notorious Nazi war criminal. Alleged to be Colonel Dorff, a monster responsible for murderous, heinous crimes against humanity, Schell plead his case acting in his own defense.
Based on a successful play written by talented and tempestuous actor Robert Shaw, "The Man in the Glass Booth" forces us to confront the reality of the lives permanently altered by the horrors of the Holocaust.
November 24, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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