The Man in the Glass Booth
| The Man in the Glass Booth | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover | |
| Directed by | Arthur Hiller |
| Produced by | Ely Landau |
| Written by |
Edward Anhalt Robert Shaw (novel & play) |
| Starring |
Maximilian Schell Lois Nettleton Lawrence Pressman |
| Cinematography | Sam Leavitt |
| Edited by | David Bretherton |
| Distributed by | American Film Theatre |
Release date |
|
Running time | 117 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The Man in the Glass Booth is a 1975 American drama film directed by Arthur Hiller. The film was produced and released as part of the American Film Theatre, which adapted theatrical works for a subscription-driven cinema series. The screenplay was adapted from Robert Shaw's 1967 novel and 1968 stage play, both of the same name. The novel was the second in a trilogy of novels, preceded by The Flag (1965), and followed by A Card from Morocco (1969).
The plot was inspired by the kidnapping and trial of the German Nazi SS-Obersturmbannführer (lieutenant colonel) Adolf Eichmann, who was one of the major organizers of the Holocaust.[1]
Plot summary
Arthur Goldman is Jewish and a Nazi death camp survivor. Now a rich industrialist, he lives in luxury in a Manhattan high-rise. He banters with his assistant Charlie, often shocking him with his outrageousness and irreverence about aspects of Jewish life. One day, Israeli secret agents kidnap Goldman and take him to Israel for trial on charges of being a Nazi war criminal. Goldman's trial forces his accusers to face not only his presumed guilt, but their own as well.
At the end it appears that Goldman falsified the dental records which the Israelis used to identify him in order to bring about the trial. When the deception is revealed by the Israeli prosecutor, Goldman is left standing in the trial court's bulletproof glass box, a broken man. The stress shatters his mental health, and he becomes catatonic. He then relives in his mind a Nazi firing squad execution and dies.
Awards and honors
Maximillian Schell was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama for his performance. Edward Anhalt was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Drama Adapted from Another Medium for his screenplay.
See also
References
- ↑ The Man In The Glass Booth, in: TV Guide