Date made	1985
Running time	112 minutes
Starring	Michael Caine

The film follows the book very closely at the start, but then verges off about halfway through. The amount of money in the book was only 780 million, in the film 4.5 billion. However this is perfectly understandable. If the film were made now what would be a stupendous amount of money today?

Apparently Michael Caine was second choice to play the role of Noel Holcroft, as James Caan walked off the day before filming began.

I have never been a fan of Caine, he seems to play the same role whatever part he is playing, and I always see him as Harry Palmer. He does a reasonable job with the script given.

The book spends quite a lot of time on the search for the Von Tiebolts, and Kessler. The film spends more time on the signing of the document, and the various attempts to stop the signing, which is fine as it makes for a pacier film. Where the film really departs, is at the end with Von Tiebolt and Kessler killing each other at a press conference called by Holcroft. The book on the other hand ends with Holcroft and Helden, working together to end the new fourth Reich run by her brother. Quite why Helden had to kill herself at the end of the film is a mystery!

Jeremy Irons and Mario Adorff as Von tiebolt and Kessler are very good. Adorff at the first meeting is all sweetness and light with Holcroft but the moment he leaves turns off the charm to warn one of his minions, about failure.

Irons is also able to turn off the charm as and when necessary, and this is evident at the meeting with Athlene Holcroft and Herr Oberst. A nice little cameo role is played by Bernard Hepton, as the MI5 Commander Leighton.

The film is a reasonable stab at the book, marred by the happy ending (why does a film have to have a happy ending?). The film is also greatly simplified, although I can understand this, however it does mean that some of the action is lost.

One comment I would make is the quality of the DVD (2008 Pegasus). The sound quality is appalling, and the visuals also of a poor standard. Some of the dialogue is in German, with the translation at the bottom of the screen, which is almost unreadable. It is disappointing that it has not been digitally remastered for release. I assume that this is because it was a made for tv movie, and didn't justify the cost.

If you can put up with the poor quality of the DVD then it makes an interesting hours viewing.