Rogue Male

This is a faithful adaptation of the book by Geoffrey Household. It was made in 1941 as Man Hunt, directed by Fritz Lang. That was also a good film, particularly the George Sanders character, but in no ways is it as good as Rogue Male. This was a TV movie, and the color has faded over the years, but it is extremely provocative of the country in south England. I give it a 9.

The story is good, but the whole thing is let down by some truly appalling camera work/lighting that makes the whole thing look cheap as chips. Some decent, if slightly wooden, acting from O'Toole, upstaged by Sim.

For those of us who still wonder at how the world could have been hornswaggled so long by Hitler, this movie gives us an insight into the spell he had some of the English under!! O'toole plays the brave nobleman who attempts to assassinate the personable madman at his holiday digs. I could have done without the 'pull his fingernails out' scene, but the point was driven home.

He was tortured and escaped with some help from a wonderful German who considered the Nazi thugs 'trash', as well as English sailors. Knowing O'toole's background in the Royal Navy, his disguise didn't take much acting. The 'by the book' captain who refused to allow a search of his vessel by the intimidating Germans made me wonder if any of my compatriots would stand up to that today.

If you've never seen the Tower Bridge, the significance of O'toole coming up from his cramped hiding place onboard the ship, seeing the underside of the bridge, might escape you. He portrays the joie de vivre of that moment wonderfully. I could just fall into his beautiful blue eyes!!

The interplay between O'toole and his uncle, as the love then hate relationship between Parliament and Hitler progresses, gives great insight into how this horror happened. O'toole, the rogue, is under suspicion and search by, not only the Nazi English agents, but his own people, normal agents of government!!! This only added to my usual cynicism concerning governments. Now to read the book!!!!

I wasn't expecting much, and the horrendous VHS-to-DVD transfer didn't help matters, but the close following of screenplay to novel, and the perfect casting of O'Toole as the vulnerable English aristocrat, makes this TV?!? adaptation a must see.

Much of the quality and suspense of the novel comes through, and the wordiness if you will of the script gave O'Toole the freedom to express his character and the political-vs-personal tensions Household filled _Rogue Male_ with.

This must have been an English production, I can't imagine an American one including the racial characterizations, 30's political details, or the quick repartee.

I first saw this on TV back in the mid 70's and it was definitely a story of the time, when WW2 was still in the forefront of many peoples minds.

Maybe not to the more modern taste, I've always enjoyed this film. It has a feel of the Thirty Nine Steps about it.

Just before the outbreak of WW2, Peter O'Tooles character fails in his revenge assassination attempt on Hitler. With the help of a sympathetic German, and English sailors, he escapes back to Britain and has to go on the run from the British and Nazi authorities who are both after him to return to Germany to answer for his "crime". He goes into hiding in the country, drawing on his hunting experience, and waits to the outbreak of war when his assassination attempt is looked on in a completely different light by the British, who now see him as a potential asset.