The ultimatum
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The ultimatum |
| Original title | Twilight's Last Gleaming |
| Country of production |
USA Germany |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1977 |
| length | 118 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Robert Aldrich |
| script |
Ronald M. Cohen , Edward Huebsch |
| production |
Merv Adelson , Helmut Jedele , Lutz Hengst |
| music | Jerry Goldsmith |
| camera | Robert B. Hauser |
| cut |
Michael Luciano , William Martin , Maury Winetrobe |
| occupation | |
| |
The Ultimatum (original title: Twilight's Last Gleaming ) is a film by Robert Aldrich from 1977 , which was made in a German-American co-production. The film adaptation is based on the novel Rothaut in Viper 3 by Walter Wager . It is about a former US general who takes control of a nuclear missile silo in order to force the publication of classified documents about the Vietnam War.
The original English title Twilight's Last Gleaming ("The last glow of dawn") is a quote from The Star-Spangled Banner , the national anthem of the USA :
O say, can you see, by the dawn's early light / what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming.
action
Montana , USA, 1981: Ex-General Dell, who escaped from prison, and three companions break into an underground missile silo. He knows his way around here because he designed the station himself. Dell had been withdrawn from circulation because he knew the truth about the Vietnam War and had urged no longer to deceive the public. The ex-general hopes that the newly elected US President Stevens, a man of the people, will expose the whole dirty affair and thus contribute to his, Dell's, personal rehabilitation. Dell gives the president an ultimatum and threatens to shoot down the nuclear missiles he now controls.
The base of the Titan missiles is surrounded by army units. The head of this counter-action is the ice-cold General MacKenzie, who tries to take Dell and his friends by surprise. When this fails, President Stevens agrees to be Dell's hostage and to leave the United States with him and his last companion on an airplane. The documents incriminating the previous government are to be read out on television. The fact that state secrets are more important than human life becomes clear at the latest with the prophecy of Dell's last friend that those in power would even let the president jump over the edge if they couldn't keep these secrets otherwise. When Dell, his companion and the president step outside, they die in the hail of bullets from the snipers .
President Stevens, who reckoned with the possibility of his death, is subsequently betrayed: The documents remain in the safe, because state secrets must remain secret.
synchronization
| actor | Voice actor | role |
|---|---|---|
| Burt Lancaster | Gert Günther Hoffmann | Lawrence Dell |
| Paul Winfield | Wolfgang Hess | Willis Powell |
| Burt Young | Peter Thom | Augie Garvas |
| William Smith | Hartmut Becker | Hoxey |
| Charles Durning | Hans Korte | President David Stevens |
| Richard Widmark | Friedrich W. Building School | General Martin MacKenzie |
| Gerald S. O'Loughlin | Manfred Schott | Frank O'Rourke |
| Charles Aidman | Fred Maire | Colonel Bernstein |
| Melvyn Douglas | Peter Capell | Zachariah Guthrie |
| Joseph Cotten | Wolf Ackva | Arthur Renfrew |
| William Marshall | Herbert Weicker | General William Klinger |
| Richard Jaeckel | Klaus Löwitsch | Captain Stanford Towne |
| Shane Rimmer | Günther Sauer | Colonel Franklin |
| Ed Bishop | Michael Cramer | Major Fox |
| Leif Erickson | Arnold Marquis | Ralph Whittaker |
Premieres
- USA 9th February 1977
- Germany October 28, 1977
- Austria in October 1977
Reviews
Robert Aldrich, who sees this film as “a contribution to the 200th anniversary of the USA”, told the press: “We in America would have great difficulties with this story, which deals with the right of the people to comprehensive information had. That's why we went to Germany with it ”(to Bavaria Film and producer Helmut Jedele ).
The anti-war film , in which the US generals and US political leadership do not get off well, asks the question of whether a democracy can survive without telling the full truth to the people.
Trivia
- The armored vehicles are modified Bundeswehr Hotchkiss SPz 11-2 tanks (2-2 / 91-2 version) and a Swiss G-13 (formerly Jagdpanzer 38 (t) ). A repainted BO-105 helicopter was used as the helicopter.
- Shane Rimmer and David Healy played two USAAF officers on The 2 series in The Big Lomax . Rimmer, however, was the villain Lomax in disguise and Healy played Colonel Adler.
Awards
- Saturn Award 1978
-
nominated:
- Best science fiction film