THE SALZBURG CONNECTION
US, 1972, 93 minutes, Colour.
Barry Newman, Anna Karina, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Udo Keir.
Lee H. Katzin.
A rather complex and complicated espionage thriller from the novel by Helen Mc Innes. Filmed very attractively in Panavision in Austria. The film utilizes the atmosphere of Austria for the adventure. However, the human happenings are quite complicated and need attention to follow. The American hero is Barry Newman - Petrocelli from the popular televison series. The noted French actress Anna Karena is conventional in her leading lady role. The film uses local stars mainly for supporting roles especially Udo Keir - later to be famous in Flesh for Frankenstein and Blood for Dracula. The direction in by Lee H. Katzin, a television director as well an of features such as Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice?
1. An interesting and entertaining espionage thriller? The value of such espionage thrillers as entertainment? Their relationship to reality?
2. What conventions of the genre did the film use? The establishment of characters, mysterious setting, the strands of mystery needing resolution, atmosphere of menace, international agencies and doublecrosses, murder and violence? The bringing together of the themes for an appropriate resolution? How satisfying was this film in these regards?
3. The contribution of the colour photography, Panavision, the Salzburg and Austrian settings? The understated score? The importance of the special effects? The use of freeze frames and slow motion for dramatic effect - appropriate or not?
4. How plausible was the plot? For the purposes of an espionage film? The Nazi documents buried in the lakes in Austria? The recovery of such chests? The repercussions of the discovery of such names on lists - for Germany, Austria, the United States bureaucracy, for neo-Nazis, for Israel, Russia and Red China? How well did the film illustrate this? The recovery of the chest for greed and money? The number of people involved and the reasons for their involvement? The number of chases, murders? The involvement of Mathison on his holiday? The involvement of Anna Bryant and her brother? The meeting of all these spies and their rings in Austria? The build?up to the final climax? How real, contrived?
5. Mathison as credible hero? Ordinary American lawyer, serious attitude towards life, presence in Austria on holidays, doing a favour for his friend? His involvement with Anna Bryant and Johann Bryant? The encounter with Elissa? With the C.I.A., with the Austrian Intelligence? With the K.G.B.? His attraction towards Anna and trying to save her, the several encounters with Elissa? His room being bugged, his life being threatened? The phone messages from Zurich and his further involvement? Danger to his life for example in his constantly being followed by so many people around Salzburg,
his going on the chair lift? his final involvement with the C.I.A. and the success of his mission? The finale and going off with Anna? A credible hero in himself, for this kind of film? How sympathetic a hero?
6. Anna as heroine? The credibility of her marriage to Bryant, her knowledge of the chest, her devotion to her brother? The shop, her fear and growing reliance on Mathison? The growing number of deaths and her fear? Her anxiety for her brother? Her decision to go with him at the end? An attractive heroine?
7. The many villains: Elissa and the plausibility of her stories and her change when she made telephone calls, her cool command especially at the end and her being deceived by the bomb? Her K.G.B./China associate? The various villains following Mathison around Salzburg? The brutal couple who murdered Bryant, tortured Johann?
8. Johann as a credible character - sharing in the recovery of the chest with Bryant? His love for his sister, suspicion of Mathison, his girl friend? His refusal to give information when tortured? The rescue? The Austrian Intelligence man and his role at the villager his name being on the list, his knowing that the chest would be blown up, the inevitability of his heroic death in the rescue?
9. The C.I.A. man and his control and quick thinking to save the chest?
10. Comment on the special effects - the special use of the camera for the changing of mood?
11. How well handled were the dramatic crises, torture sequences, murders? Suspense?
12. Memorable sequences - the slow car chase through the city, the chair lift and the expectation that Mathison would be killed and his follower being murdered?
13. The basic espionage themes of human nature, the image of good and evil, right and wrong, heroism, romance? The image of international espionage and agents? A satisfying thriller?
