BRASS TARGET

1978, John Hough, 110 mins.

The theft of Nazi gold is linked to an attempt to assassinate General Patton.

I’ve long had a soft spot for this daft and absurdly complicated conspiracy thriller. It’s a mad fantasy involving the post-war theft of Reichstag gold and the death of General Patton which gets by on sheer nerve. There’s a starry cast although the plaudits go to Patrick McGoohan, camping it up and having fun with an extraordinary accent, and Max Von Sydow, who adds much-needed gravitas to the whole affair. The plot is idiotic and virtually impossible to follow, but there are numerous diversions along the way including nice cinematography and a pounding score by Lawrence Rosenthal. The biggest problems are the two leads; John Cassavetes looks bored out of his mind and is even more disengaged than he was in The Fury, while a perfectly coiffured Sophia Loren must be among the most unlikely war refugees in film history.