Operation Crossbow
1965 US
Dir: Micahael Anderson
Stars: George Peppard, Sophia Loren, Lilli Palmer, Tom Courtenay
To tell the truth, I consider this movie mediocre even as an action movie.
Then why I bring up the movie here? There are two reasons for it. The first
one is concerning the peculiar handling of German side, and the second one
is concerning to the two femmes appearing in this movie during rather short
period; i.e, Sophia Loren and Lilli Palmer, both of whom were born in a
non-English spoken country, Italy and Germany respectively.
About peculiar handling of German side.
When I saw this movie first time, I thought this movie depicted the WW2
from German side at least first 30 minutes during which German side was
depicted more affectionately than Allied side. While German scientists are
patiently developing V-rocket with tight cooperation, British scientist's
(played by Trevor Howard) only concern seems to discredit German scientists'
ability to develop modern weapons that might have influence upon the course
of the war so that the inability in his own part could be spared. There
is even such a scene as a German female test pilot offers flowers to the
grave of her colleague who was killed by riding on a mulfunctioning rocket.
This kind of scene, especially a female person being involved, can easily
provoke emotional reactions to viewers. In comparison with this, the appearence
of the aforementioned self-preserving scientist makes the allied side look
like they don't deserve to win the war at all. Probably it could be said
that, as the scientist didn't know the due course of the war at that time,
he might not have been so stupid as we might think. But this view is totally
pointless, for the director and the writer surely knew what had actually
happened, even if the scientist in question was supposed to be inaccessible
to the knowledge of future episode. So, in this case, why they brought up
such a person in the first place only matters. Considering the total destruction
of the German facility in the last scene, this handling of both sides is
totally inexplicable.
About two femmes appearing in this movie.
Operation Crossbow is essentially an action movie, so it is the movie
of men. But, if rather short period, there appear two notable actresses
in the film. One is Sophia Loren, and the other is Lilli Palmer. Former
plays a wife who doesn't know the fact her husband was killed, and a British
officer (played by George Peppard) is impersonating him in order to infiltrate
a German rocket factory. Latter plays a landlady, behind the cloak of which
actually having been conducting several resistance activities. Eventually
she kills Sophia Loren in order to protect the covert operation of George
Peppard. By some inexplicable reasons, despite the fact she is a victim
of the war, I cannot sympathize with Sophia Loren at all. On the other hand,
it is rather easy to empathize with Lilli Palmer, even if she is the person
who kills Sophia Loren. Of course, anyone can say there wasn't enough time
for Sophia Loren to characterize herself. But it is also true to Lilli Palmer.
Though Lilli Palmer is called a dreadful woman by Sophia Loren in a scene,
I cannot help feeling truth is reverse, even if it is totally inappropriate
considering the situation. Speaking honestly, I don't know much about Lilli
Palmer, for she is essentially a 1940s and 50s actress and I rarely watch
movies made before I was born. But judging by her acting in the movie
Counterfeit Traitor (She is absolutely marvelous in this movie.)
that is the only her appearing movie other than Operation Crossbow
I have so far watched, she must have trenendous amount of warmth, or rather
fragility that causes sympathy to any audience. On the other hand, Sophia
Loren is the most difficult person for us to be aroused emotionally in any
movie. Probably you might think who is this we? To tell the truth, I don't
know. But generally for Japanese, she is not the kind of actress who arouses
much empathy, though I am not sure it is also true to other countries' audiences.
Finally despite all of this, I never say they should have switched their
roles. I have a hunch, if they had done so, all those scenes in the hotel
would have been completely forgettable. Though I cannot explain the reason
for it clearly, it might be related to Lilli Palmer's natural tallent for
having audience noticed her ambivalence without any blatant divulge of emotions.
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