When a Swiss cop is murdered, a veteran homicide inspector and a rookie are assigned to solve the case but they are obstructed by interfering Swiss politicians.When a Swiss cop is murdered, a veteran homicide inspector and a rookie are assigned to solve the case but they are obstructed by interfering Swiss politicians.When a Swiss cop is murdered, a veteran homicide inspector and a rookie are assigned to solve the case but they are obstructed by interfering Swiss politicians.
- Awards
- 3 wins & 2 nominations
- Walter Tschanz
- (as John Voight)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaRobert Shaw claimed that he never received his fifty thousand dollar salary.
- Quotes
Richard Gastmann: Another year, your doctor says. That is, if he can operate on Thursday.
Hans Bärlach: Another year.
Richard Gastmann: Your last year, Hans. Why waste it on me?
Hans Bärlach: One day I'm going to convict you for your crimes.
Richard Gastmann: You can't let go of it, can you? You let it chew up your guts until it has chewed up your guts.
Hans Bärlach: The Barlach's always had poor stomachs.
Richard Gastmann: Keep on churning, Old Man; keep on churning. Still hung up on right and wrong. One day you're going to realise, there is none.
Hans Bärlach: Have you ever seen your victims? I could show you pictures. How many people died because of you? Fifty, Sixty...?
Richard Gastmann: I could show you...
Hans Bärlach: ...a hundred, thousand?
Richard Gastmann: ...earthquakes, plagues, famine, victims more mutilated than any explosions could make. Has to be done, Old Man. It has to be done.
Hans Bärlach: If you don't do it, somebody else will?
Richard Gastmann: Quite right. Anyway, I sleep now much better than i used to.
[looking out the window]
Richard Gastmann: Take the mob down there; pull ten out put ten back - doesn't make any difference.
Hans Bärlach: You think you're God.
Richard Gastmann: Only his humble servant, Old Man, only his humble servant.
Hans Bärlach: You don't believe in God?
Richard Gastmann: Oh, yes. I think religion's very good for children; Jesus, suffering on the cross. I don't know anything better. Look, Hans, we made a bet together. I won. You lost.
Hans Bärlach: The result of that bet was death.
- Crazy creditsCorpse provided by Donald Sutherland
- Alternate versionsWhen the film was released internationally it was cut by 15 minutes. For unknown reasons, only the shorter international version has ever been released on home video. Both versions have a full soundtrack in English. The following sequences are missing in the shorter cut: 01 - After Baerlach visits Mrs. Schoenler there is a brief scene in which we see him feeding bears at a zoo. He then goes to the town hall and sees Gastmann from afar. This prompts a brief flashback of Nadine's corpse floating in the river. Baerlach talks to Lutz and asks him for a new partner. He wants Tschanz. Lutz says Tschanz is on holiday but Baerlach insists. Baerlach lights a cigar and is taken over by a coughing fit, Lutz asks for a glass of water but the secretary brings a flower. Lutz finally agrees to assign Tschanz to him and notes that they will make a great team. Baerlach thanks him and leaves. 02 - During the funeral scene there's an additional shot. After Tschanz notices the name on the wreath is wrong we see a woman's hat falling off and one of the mourners pick it up and throw it onto the coffin. The sound of the woman gasping can still be heard on the soundtrack when the trombonist empties water from his instrument in the short version instead of the correct sound of water pouring out. That shot is followed by another shot missing from the shorter cut in which a uniformed policeman congratulates Lutz on his speech. 03 - The first scene with Anna and Tschanz is a little different. They are first seen lying naked on the floor in silence. She gets up, lights a cigarette, and says "Don't think about it, it was good. I wanted that". She then walks over to the bathroom. In the shorter cut, the line is dubbed over the close-up of Anna and Tschanz and then cuts directly into Anna in the bathroom. 04 - There is another brief moment missing from the shorter cut in this sequence. After Anna says "Call me" Tschanz says "I hate telephones. I'd rather stand in front of your house and wait for you". There is a short discussion and she tells him to go. The scene then proceeds like in the shorter cut with Tschanz asking "Who are they". 05 - Right after the scene in which Baerlach returns home and takes off the arm protector Tschanz is seen in a phone box. He calls Anna but she isn't at home. 06 - After the "Dr. Lutz, the minister is expecting you" line, Tschanz is seen lying in bed looking sick and calling Anna's house again but no one answers. 07 - After Tschanz runs out of the baggage loading area there are two brief shots of Gastmann's henchmen watching him hidden behind crates. 08 - The sequence in which Tschanz and Anna are walking next to the river is longer. In the shorter version the scene ends after Tschanz asks Anna about Baerlach's suspicions but in the longer cut they continue talking. Anna tells Tschanz she wants him to be kind and talk to her. They talk about their families and she tells him he needs to grow up and be kind. Tschanz goes into the playground and starts playing football with the kids. Anna smiles at him. 09 - The entire sequence in which Baerlach leaves and is arguing with Tschanz and is then picked up by Gastmann as well as the entire sequence on the bridge in which they discuss their "game" and in which Gastmann disposes of the dead driver takes place at night. The sequence was originally shot day-for-night but the effect was removed in the shorter version. The scene is exactly the same bar one short insert. When Gastmann's henchman throws the driver's body in the water there is a short flashback of Nadine's corpse floating as seen in the Istanbul intro. 10 - After Gastmannshouts at Baerlach ("You fool") we see Tschanz lying in bed thinking. Then we see Anna emerging from the shower and getting dressed. Then we see Tschanz entering her house. Anna walks into her living room and sees him. He tells her he loves her and forces himself on her. She struggles but eventually says "Alright, if you want me you can have me. But you can't HAVE me. Understand?". She then tells him Robert has more power over her than ever before. They talk briefly and Tschanz concludes she never loved anyone. She is then seen leaving by car.
- SoundtracksViolin Concerto in D: III. Rondo
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven
[played by violinist practicing under tree]
Maximilian Schell, winner of a Best Actor Oscar in 1961, directed this film with the title of END OF THE GAME. Not only does he drift from the original title, he also imbues the plot with a pseudo intellectualism that becomes increasingly annoying until the final suicide - which left me completely baffled. I really could not understand the wherefore of that finale.
It would appear that Inspector Barlach (Martin Ritt, who achieved cinematic fame as a film director) is engaging in a chess game with master criminal Gastmann (Robert Shaw), with humans disposed of as readily and coldly as so many pawns on a chess board. But that is only my perception, and I fear I may have got it completely wrong because the film is so meaninglessly convoluted.
Interesting to see two great-looking leads - Bisset and Voight, the latter with his dick bobbing up and down as he runs - have sex the moment they meet after her boyfriend's funeral. I found it puzzling that Donald Sutherland, by 1975 a great actor in his own right, should agree to play the part of a dead body but that is only another one of many rather absurd developments. For instance, I could not grasp whether Martin Ritt played only the part of Inspector Barlach, as he seemed to be two people, one of whom displayed a gluttonous appetite at the end, behaving in a manner rather unlike the hitherto rather restrained inspector.
Why Schell should engage in rather amateurish and unsteady directing instead of doing what he was best at, acting, only he would know - but the spectator is far from well served by Schell's choice. 6/10.
- adrianovasconcelos
- Mar 29, 2024
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