the quiller memorandum ending explained

I wanted to make a list of all the things that are wrong with this film, but I can't - such a list would need much more than a thousand words. Their aim is to bring back the Third Reich. Not terribly audience-friendly, but smart and very, very cool. This exciting movie belongs to spy sub-genre being developed during the cold war , it turns out to be a stirring thriller plenty of mystery , tension , high level of suspense , and a little bit of violence . He steals a taxi, evades a pursuing vehicle and books himself into a squalid hotel. As other reviewers have suggested, this Cold War Neo-Nazi intrigue is more concerned with subtle, low-key plot evolution than the James Bond in-your-face-gadgetry genre that was prevalent during the 60's-70's. No doubt Quiller initially seems like a slow-witted stumblebum, but his competence as an agent begins to reveal itself in due course: for instance, we find out he speaks fluent German; in a late scene, he successfully uses a car bomb to fake his own death and fool his adversaries; and along the way he exhibits surprisingly competent hand-to-hand combat skills in beating up a few Nazi bullyboys. Michael Anderson directs with his usual leaden touch. They wereso popularthat in 1966 a film was made the title waschanged to The Quiller Memorandum and from then on all future copies of the book were published under this title, rather than the original. Newer. Once Quiller becomes extra-friendly with Ingewhich happens preternaturally quicklyits clear someone on the other side is getting nervous. George Segal is a fine and always engaging actor, but the way his character is written here, he doesn't really come across as "a spy who gets along by his brains and not by his brawn"; he seems interested almost exclusively in the girl he meets, not in the case he's investigating, and (at least until the end) he seems to survive as a result of a combination of his good luck and the stupidity of the villains. He accepts the assignment and almost immediately finds that he is being followed. People tend to like it because "it's not like the Bond movies"; well, it's not - it's like "The Ipcress File", except that "The Ipcress File" was a genuinely smart and atmospheric movie, while "The Quiller Memorandum" is a clumsy, dated spy thriller full of pseudo-hip dialogue and plot holes. His romantic interest is Senta Berger, whose understated and laconic dialog provides the perfect counterpoint to Segal's character. Berger is luminous and exceedingly solid in a complicated role. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). In the process, he discovers a complex and malevolent plot, more dangerous to the world than any crime committed during the war. He published over 50 novels as Elleston Trevor alone. The film was shot on location in West Berlin and in Pinewood . Senta Berger was gorgeous! [3], In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Bosley Crowther wrote: "Clearly, 'The Quiller Memorandum' is claptrap done up in a style and with a musical score by John Barry that might lead you to think it is Art. Performed by Matt Monro, "Wednesday's Child" was also released as a single. His understated (and at times simply wooden) performance here can be a tough sell when set against the more expressive comedic persona he cultivated in offbeat 1970s comedies like Blume in Love, The Owl and the Pussycat, Wheres Poppa?, California Spilt, and Fun With Dick and Jane. But then Quiller retraces his steps in a flashback. The nation remained the home of the best spies. I havent watched too many movies from the 1960s in my lifetime, but the ones I have watched have been excellent (Von Ryans Express, Tony Rome, To Kill A Mockingbird, The Hustler, The Great Escape, etc, including this one.) Before long, his purposefully clumsy nosing around leads to his capture and interrogation by a very elegantly menacing von Sydow, who wants to know where Segal's own headquarters is! Special guests Sanders and Helpmann bring their special brand of haughty authority to their roles as members of British Intelligence. I thought the ending was Quller getting one last meeting with the nice babe and sending a warning to any remaining Nazis that they are being watched. The Neo-Nazis want to know the location of British operations and similarly, the British want to know the location of the Neo-Nazis' headquarters. And will the world see a return of Nazi power? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2021 Crime Fiction Lover. The Chief of the Secret Service Pol (Alec Guinness) summons the efficient agent Quiller (George Segal) to investigate the location of organization's headquarter. In conclusion, having recently watched "Quiller's" almost exact contemporary "The Ipcress File", I have to say that I preferred the latter's more pointed narrative, down-home grittiness and star acting to the similar fare offered here. A crisply written story that captured my attention from beginning to end. It was interesting to me that in 1965 (when I also happened to be living in Germany as a US Army dependent) the crux of the book was the fear of a Nazi resurgence -- and I'm not talking about skinheads, but Nazis deep within the German government and military. Quiller works for the Bureau, an arm of the British Secret Service so clandestinethat no-one knows itexists. Michael Anderson directs a classy slice of '60s spy-dom. Quiller's primary contact for this job is a mid level administrative agent named Pol. effective, low key, intelligent, spy film, Attractive, thoughtful spy film with an excellent cast. Read more On its publication in 1966, THE QUILLER MEMORANDUM received the Edgar Award as best mystery of the year. He recruits Berger to help him infiltrate the Neo-Nazis and discover their base of operations, but, once again, is thwarted. A spy thriller for chess players. With a screenplay by Harold Pinter and careful direction by Michael Anderson, the movie is more a violent-edged tale of probable, cynical betrayal by everyone we meet, with the main character, Quiller (George Segal), squeezed by those he works for, those he works against and even by the delectable German teacher, Inge Lendt (Senta Berger) he meets. At a key breakfast meeting, Pol uses two blueberry muffins to outline the particularly precarious cat-and-mouse game Quiller must play while in the gap between his own side and the fascist gang. Always under-appreciated by U.S. audiences, it's a relief to know that she's had a major impact on the German film community in later years. Directed by Michael Anderson; produced by Ivan Stockwell; screenplay by Harold Pinter; cinematography by Erwin Hiller; edited by Frederick Wilson; art direction by Maurice Carter; music by John Barry; starring George Segal, Max Von Sydow, Alec Guinness, Senta Berger, and guest stars George Stevens and Robert Helpmann. THE QUILLER MEMORANDUM (3 outta 5 stars) The 1960s saw a plethora of two kinds of spy movies: the outrageous semi-serious James Bond ripoffs (like the Flint and Matt Helm movies) and the very dry, methodical ones that were more talk than action (mostly John Le Carre and Alistair MacLean adaptations). . Write by: The Quiller Memorandum book. If your idea of an exciting spy thriller involves boobs, blondes and exploding baguettes, then The Quiller Memorandum is probably not for you. For example, when the neo-Nazi goons are sticking to Quiller like fly paper, wasn't he suspicious when they did not follow him into his hotel? Hes that good try the book and youll find out. Kindle Edition. This demonstration using familiar breakfast food items serves to stimulate the American spys brainwaves into serious operative mode. In this first book in the QUILLER series, undercover agent Quiller is asked to take the place of a fellow spy who has recently been murdered in Berlin, in identifying the headquarters of an underground but powerful Nazi organization, Phnix, twenty years . Inge tells him she loves him, and he tells her a phone number to call if he is not back in 20 minutes. Fans of realistic spy fiction will enjoy David McCloskeys debut thriller Damascus Station, newly available in paperback in the UK. Quiller, an agent working for British Intelligence, is sent to Berlin to meet with Pol, another operative. I'm generally pretty forgiving of film adaptations of novels, but the changes that were made just do not make sense. Agent Quiller is relaxing in a Berlin theater the night before returning to London and rest after a difficult assignment when he is accosted by Pol, another British agent, with a new, very important assignment. The premise isn't far-fetched, but the details are. He is the true faceless spy. Quiller (played by George Segal) is an American secret agent assigned to work with British MI6 chief Pol ( Alec Guinness) in West Berlin. The setting is Cold War-divided Berlinwhere Quillertackles a threat from a group ofneo-Nazis whocall themselves Phoenix. These include another superior soundtrack by John Barry, if perhaps a little too much son-of "The Ipcress File", some fine real-life (West) Berlin exteriors, particularly of the Olympic Stadium with its evocation of 1936 and all that and Harold Pinter's typically rhythmic, if at times inscrutable screenplay. Have read a half dozen or so other "Quiller" books, so when I saw that Hoopla had this first story, I figured I should give it a listen to see how Quiller got started. But don't let it fool you for one minutenor Mr. Segal, nor Senta Berger as the girl. The name of the intelligence agency that Quiller ( George Segal) worked for was MI6. ): as a result, they were summarily bumped off with stereotypical German precision. Keating. On the surface, we get at least some satisfying closure to the case of the clandestine neo-Nazi gang. before he started doing "genial" and reminds us that his previous part was in the heavyweight "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf". This is a nom de plume for author. Segal plays a secret agent assigned to ferret out the headquarters of a Neo-Nazi movement in Berlin. This reactionary quake in the spy genre was brief but seismic all the same. What Adam Hall did extremely wellwas toget us readers inside the mind of an undercover operative. Quiller continues his subtle accusations, and Inge continues her denial of ever meeting Jones. International in its scope its contributors include scholars from Australia, Quiller . The Quiller Memorandum (1966) is one such film, and though it's one of the more obscure ones, it is also one of the better ones. How did I miss this film until just recently? I am not saying he was bad in the filmor at least that bad. 1966's The Quiller Memorandum is a low-key gem, a pared-down, existential spy caper that keeps the exoticism to a minimum. As explained by his condescending boss Pol (Alec Guinness), Quillers two unfortunate predecessors were getting too close to exposing the subterranean neo-Nazi cell known as Phoenix (get it? The Quiller Memorandum's strengths and charms are perhaps a bit too subtle for a spy thriller, but those who like their espionage movies served up with a sheen of intelligence rather than gloss or mockery will embrace Quiller.Still, there's no denying that that intelligence doesn't go as deep as it thinks it does, which can be frustrating. The book and movie made a bit of a splash in the spy craze of the mid-sixties, when James Bond and The Man From Uncle were all the rage. Having just read the novel, it's impossible to watch this without its influence and I found the screen version incredibly disappointing. Quiller slips out though a side door to the small garage yard where his car is kept. All Rights Reserved. See production, box office & company info, Europa-Center, Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany.