Peter Lorre directs for the only time. Beautifully shot and acted this movie is a sad foot note to what might have been had Lorre been allowed to direct more films. Everything on a technical level is fantastic, with Lorre composing some starkly haunting shots, the shots in and around the camp that book ends the film. Here was a man who clearly learned how to put a film together from the masters like Lang and Hitchcock. He paints a wonderful portrait of the war and of its aftermath that is almost tactile.
The problem with the film is that the story spins out of control, like our characters life, in odd unexpected ways, not all of them good. The plot has Lorre, as a doctor in a refuge camp after the second world war, running into an old "friend". It quickly is revealed that there is more to the good doctor than meets the eye and in a flashback that takes up most of the film, we see what happened during the war years. From murder for survival to mass murder its a small jump. The problem is that the trip seems a bit unfocused with a couple of turns seeming to be forced (forgive me for not telling too much since the bumps are late in the film and I don't want to give away plot points).
Despite the bumps the film is definitely worth a look, if for no other reason then to see what Lorre could do in the directors chair.6.5 out of 10, 7 for IMDb purposes.
The problem with the film is that the story spins out of control, like our characters life, in odd unexpected ways, not all of them good. The plot has Lorre, as a doctor in a refuge camp after the second world war, running into an old "friend". It quickly is revealed that there is more to the good doctor than meets the eye and in a flashback that takes up most of the film, we see what happened during the war years. From murder for survival to mass murder its a small jump. The problem is that the trip seems a bit unfocused with a couple of turns seeming to be forced (forgive me for not telling too much since the bumps are late in the film and I don't want to give away plot points).
Despite the bumps the film is definitely worth a look, if for no other reason then to see what Lorre could do in the directors chair.6.5 out of 10, 7 for IMDb purposes.