EMBASSY

US, 1972, 90 minutes, Colour.
Richard Roundtree, Chuck Connors, Marie Jose Nat, Ray Milland, Broderick Crawford, Max Von Sydow.
Directed by Gordon Hessler.

Embassy is a political thriller set in the Middle East – and not without relevance to subsequent decades although the film focuses on a Russian defector, a relic of the cold war period.

While Richard Roundtree and Chuck Connors are middle-aged heroes, the supporting cast is a trio of veterans with Ray Milland as the ambassador, Broderick Crawford as a tough screen presence and Swedish Max von Sydow as a Russian.

The film was directed by Gordon Hessler, German-born but educated in England and America, who worked mainly in television and produced and directed a number of horror thrillers including Scream Pretty Peggy as well as directing Kiss in the Attack of the Phantoms.

1. The quality of this thriller, espionage story?

2. The quality of production, location photography , music and song? The quality of the stars and their style?

3. The focus of the title, the respectable world of diplomacy, the background of international espionage? Audience understanding this world?

4.The importance of the Beirut locations, the meeting of Americans and Russians? A city for espionage, violence? The screenplays use of the city and its locations?

5. How interestingly was the world of the embassy presented? The ambassador and his style, Rylands? The function of Shannon and Dunninger in the embassy? Strong arm tactics? Agents? Black and white, old and young?

6. Shannon as the hero for this film? A black hero being giving the opportunity for liberal comment? How convincing? Exploits, strengths, weaknesses? American hero?

7. Laure as his girlfriend? Their relationship, her involvement in the espionage?

8. How interesting and sympathetic a character was Gorenko? The reason for his defection? Victim for what violence especially from Kesten? His importance for the Russians, for the Americans? The varying attitudes of how to handle his case? The roles of Shannon and Dunninger? Gorenko and his background, his imprisoned son?

9. How convincing was Kesten as the villain? His American pose, American style and yet its only being a facade for ideology? His skill in his work, wounding of Gorenko? The inevitable confrontation with Shannon? The excitement of the chase and the confrontation?

10. The quality of plot , atmosphere, the credibility of the dangers, risks, chases?

11. How satisfying as entertainment? The human implications in these stories few the world of espionage?