Der Gehetzte

James Mason is simply a brilliant actor who certainly doesn't have to appeal to everyone. Similar psychologically strong films, however, are meant exactly for him, and it is here that he delivers an absolutely exceptional performance. The film beautifully shows that we can only rely on ourselves. No one else will help us much in a crisis. (07.10.2014)

A classic drama with elements of the noir genre, precisely directed and acted, which, however, lacks a more believable screenplay to reach the absolute peak of the era's filmmaking. Not that the theme of a refugee hiding from the police conducting a manhunt on him isn't compelling, but the characters deviate from logic in several moments and it would be better if the whole story was based on a classic crime rather than the topic of terrorism. The creators don't understand and probably don't even want to understand the political and social phenomenon of terrorism. A severely injured member of the IRA would hardly wander the streets of a Northern Irish city with a large Catholic community all night without help... Today, Odd Man Out is a testament to the high level of British cinema in the late 1940s. I liked it more than the acclaimed The Third Man. Overall impression: 85%. (28.09.2009)