Paper tiger
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Paper tiger |
| Original title | Paper tiger |
| Country of production | United Kingdom |
| original language | English , German , Japanese |
| Publishing year | 1975 |
| length | 99 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Ken Annakin |
| script | Jack Davies |
| production | Euan Lloyd |
| music | Roy Budd |
| camera | John Cabrera |
| cut | Alan Pattillo |
| occupation | |
| |
Paper Tiger is a British film production by Ken Annakin that was made in 1974 in Southeast Asia and (to a very small extent) in Bavaria . The leading roles are played by the Scot David Niven , the Japanese Toshirō Mifune and the German Hardy Krüger .
action
The aging and limping "Major" Walter Bradbury is extremely well-bred and a British gentleman from head to toe, but also a boor as he is in the book. He likes to brag about his "military career" and his "heroic deeds" in Europe during the last world war. Having landed in Southeast Asia, he got to know the dangerous situation of the politically troubled country first hand, hardly having arrived, when he witnessed a terrorist attack. Here he is hired by the Japanese ambassador Kagoyama in a Pacific country to give his son Koichi the finishing touches as a tutor of an educated, English-speaking world citizen. During a reception by the ambassador there is another attack, which Bradbury thwarted by his clumsiness with his walking stick, which he always carries with him. He barely prevents Koichi's murder. Bradbury now finds a grateful listener in Koichi when the Briton rants about his “great” past as a “hero”, for example during an attempted breakout in Germany during the Second World War. The characters, who are so different, quickly become friends. One day Bradbury has to prove what he's really capable of, because he and Koichi are kidnapped by terrorists led by the unscrupulous Talah on a trip. The terrorists want to use the boy as leverage to force concessions from the president of their own country.
Meanwhile, the German reporter Günther Müller, who got to know Bradbury during the first reception at the Japanese ambassador, investigated the alleged major: The result: There was never a Major Walter Bradbury in the British Army. With this information, Müller immediately went to the Japanese diplomat. Ambassador Kagoyama then takes out his samurai sword and prepares to have to free his son himself. After all, the smug, British show-off grows beyond himself and can show that he is not just a paper tiger , but actually capable of heroic deeds. He meticulously plans his and Koichi's escape from the hands of the revolutionaries. With soot-blackened faces, the old Briton and the nine-year-old child dare to break out in a car that is rubbish. During the escape, the vehicle overturns. The escape of the two dissimilar partners through the jungle continues on foot. Bradbury slowly loses all strength, then he also loses his cane and is finally shot by the kidnappers who pursue them in the middle of the wilderness. Shortly before it can come to an end, two helicopters fly in; In one there are soldiers from the country who immediately shoot the terrorists, in the other Ambassador Kagoyama, who discovers his son in the rocks. Koichi and Bradbury are saved. After recovering, the Briton finally admits his show-offs in front of the ambassador. But Kagoyama wants him to continue to take care of Koichi, whom he was such a good protector at the moment of greatest danger.
Production notes
Paper tiger was filmed mostly in Kuala Lumpur and the wilderness of Malaysia in 1974 . The few flashback scenes were made in Bavaria. The film celebrated its world premiere on May 1, 1975. In Germany, the film opened on September 12, 1975. The film was re-marketed as a VHS cassette under the title Bradbury .
Peter Scharff created the German film structures, Erwin Lange designed the German special effects.
Hardy Krüger played the rather unimportant role of a ZDF reporter who quickly saw through Bradbury's whispers.
Roy Budd , then husband of Caterina Valente , wrote the central song " My Little Friend " , which was voiced by the Ray Conniff Singers . For this he received a Golden Globe nomination in 1976 . Sammy Cahn wrote the text .
Reviews
"Moderate action that goes along with political terrorism and Disney-esque cuteness botch everything up."
"Uncomfortable adventure comedy drama that, if handled with a little more skill, would have been better than this."
In the lexicon of international film it says: "In view of the cast and the director, a disappointingly inadequate and politically instinctive piece of adventure entertainment against the background of violence and terror."
References and comments
- ↑ Even if the spelling of the title is often given as paper tiger , the spelling given here is the one under which this film was shown in Germany.
- ↑ Paper Tiger. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed January 1, 2019 .
Web links
- Paper tiger in the Internet Movie Database (English)