A TIME TO DIE

US, 1982, 91 minutes, Colour.
Edward Albert, Rex Harrison, Rod Taylor, Raf Vallone.
Directed by Matt Cimber.

A Time to Die is a vengeance thriller based on astory by Mario Puzo. It was originally entitled Seven Graves for Rogan but was unsuccessful, retitled and released, especially for video. Edward Albert is the principal star though Rex Harrison as a Nazi, post-war politician and Rod Taylor as an American agent have top billing. There is use of a wide variety of European locations., However, the film merely presents its characters, presents a quest of vengeance, revels in some exploitation of sex and violence. A potentially interesting story is merely given surface treatment. Co-writer and director is Matt Cimber (Butterfly).

1. Interesting war and vengeance thriller?

2. The range of European locations and their use? Action sequences? Musical score?

3. The two titles and their focus on the vengeance theme?

4. Special effects?

5. The war situation: the French-German? border, 1945, French farmers, Michael Rogan as an agent, the German attack, imprisonment and interrogation, the murder of Rogan's wife?

6. Rogan's character, his skills, interrogation, torture? His being shot but surviving? His rehabilitation? His vengeful quest? The encounter with the prostitute and her saving him? Their liaison and her help? The Americans, especially Bailey and their following his tracks? His encounter with the ex-Nazi in the nightclub and killing him? The tracking down of the two garage men, the adaptation of the car, his getting the name of the chief interrogator from them, their chess game in Budapest and the exploding chess piece? The pursuit of the Italian to Sicily, his dying, his forgiving him, his being forced to shoot him? The travels around Europe? The train from Budapest? The encounters with Bailey? The final encounter with the German interrogator, shooting him? The irony that Bailey could not shoot, Rogan? The final image of his being saved? Reunited with the girl? The credibility of the character? his quest?

7. The Nazis and their brutality, the executions? The torture? Rogan's wife, her death, the use of the tape? The ex-Nazis in.civilian life? In the sleazy nightclub, doing deals in the motor business? The Italian returned to his Sicilian family? Rogan's executing them?

8. Bailey and the American authorities, power-broking in Europe after the war, German authorities? Tracking Rogan, the attempts to kill him? Bailey's not killing Rogan at the end?

9. Rex Harrison as the German interrogator? His cruelty?His role as a judge, the administration of justice, the final confrontation with Rogan, his death? The sequence with his wife and Rogan's entering his home? The prostitute, her saving Rogan, her joining with him; relationship, Bailey's offer of money? Their future?

10. An enjoyable action adventure - but the emphasis on the surface rather than depth?