There are a lot of factors to be taken into account here: Producers Davis and Panzer, two unfaltering men wholly unfamiliar with Sam Peckinpah’s style; the teetering Cold War; the complexities surrounding Ludlum’ novel; Peckinpah’s health and newfound sobriety. The beginning and end, reworked by the aforementioned producers, are poorly done and make no sense (in such a technologically advanced era, the best way to dispose of someone is with an in-person injection?). Craig T. Nelson’s mustache is an obvious fake and is an immediate distraction, and the Schifrin score is too saccharine. Nonetheless, The Osterman Weekend contains all the identifiable marks of a genuine attempt at something decent, and the fact that it’s Peckinpah’s last film only makes the overall theme more notable: A struggle for power and control, amity and compromise, and the ultimate distinction between loyalty and betrayal. Classic Sam.
by Adam Balz | Source: FMC Showing
02 Jun 2006 1:30 AM | Submit Comment