A renegade usaf general, lawrence dell, escapes from a military prison and takes over an icbm silo near montana and threatens to provoke world war 3 unless the president reveals details of a secret meeting held just after the start of the vietnam war between dell and the then presidents most trusted advisors. Twilights last gleaming 1977 masters of cinema dual. It is a bleak film, in the manner of the 1970s, but never miserable. Twilights last gleaming 1977 letterboxd social film. Burt lancaster in twilights last gleaming the new york times. Fans of the genre exalt films like all the presidents men, the parallex view and three days of the condor. Twilight s last gleaming 1977 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. A scifipolitical thriller about four men who take over an icbm complex and threaten to launch. This partially came about from the competition from a certain film called star wars which offered a more optimistic and hopeful cinematic experience. Twilights last gleaming new masters of cinema hd trailer. Rent twilights last gleaming 1977 on dvd and bluray dvd. The film was a west germanamerican coproduction, shot mainly at the bavaria studios. An imprisoned rogue usaf general with a secret personal agenda, escapes the brig and takes over an icbm silo, threatening to start ww3.
High among idiosyncratic auteur robert aldrich s most powerful and intense dramas, twilight s last gleaming is a thunderous political thriller and raceagainsttime doomsday classic. Twilight s last gleaming is a 1977 americangerman thriller film directed by robert aldrich and starring burt lancaster and richard widmark. Jerry goldsmith the american public wasnt yet quite ready to accept the antivietnam, antigovernment messages in 1977 s twilight s last gleaming, and the film was a major contribution to the sinking of director robert aldrichs career. Burt lancaster stars as the air force general lawrence dell who seizes control of a stockpile of nuclear missiles to force the us president charles durning. Dec 25, 2017 loosely adapted from novelist walter wagers 1971 thriller, viper three, twilights last gleaming is robert aldrichs impassioned and provocative excoriation and, perhaps implicitly, exorcism of the american governments administrative cold war policy that sought to wage a representative, smallscale, protracted ideological war in vietnam in order to reinforce a doctrine of. Oct 21, 2012 burt lancaster, left, with paul winfield, plays a renegade general confronting the president about vietnam in robert aldrichs nuclear thriller twilights last gleaming 1977, coming to. Twilights last gleaming, 1977 strictly film school. Burt lancaster right masterminds a terrorist takeover of a nuclear missile installation in twilight s last gleaming. Loosely based on a 1971 novel, viper three by walter wager, it tells the story of lawrence dell, a renegade usaf general who escapes from a military prison and takes over an icbm silo in montana, threatening to launch the missiles and start world war iii unless the president reveals a to. Burt lancaster, roscoe lee browne, joseph cotten, melvyn douglas, charles durning, richard jaeckel, william marshall, gerald s. Appearing with him in the film are burt young left and paul winfield. Executive action 1973, klute 1971, chinatown 1974, cutters way 1981, telefon 1977, winter kills 1979, the conversation 1974, the parallax view 1974, three days of the condor 1975, the domino principle 1977, good guys wear black 1978, twilight s last gleaming 1977, hangar 18 1980, capricorn one.
Twilights last gleaming is above all a suspense film and the music is what keeps us in its grip the music and robert aldrichs professionalism. The film is wellpaced, despite its 144 minute runtime, and never outstays its welcome. Twilight s last gleaming is a 1977 thriller film directed by robert aldrich and starring burt lancaster and richard widmark. Very good paranoia movie of the 70s to be rediscovered now that a flawless bluray dvd has just been released. Otherwise, the film has the appearance of a rather classy. Twilights last gleaming is robert aldrichs deadly solemn, gadgety suspensemelodrama. Twilights last gleaming in these times 119 mar 30, 1977, p. As is the case with a lot of director robert aldrichs films, i cant decide whether twilight s last gleaming 1977 is a pretty good movie failing to live up to its full potential or one thats a lot more entertaining than it has any right to be. I really enjoyed this movie burt lancaster was great and the use of multiple screen sections like thomas crown affair was extremely interesting. Brezhnev was trying to ease in a new constitution, quiet dissent and avoid panic over a series of bombings in his capital, whilst carter was dealing with the. But the more people that saw it, the larger the cult got. The year 1977 in film involved some significant events. Despite some flaws, twilights last gleaming is a gripping drama that will have you on the edge of your seat until the bitter end. The film was part of a cycle of 1970s conspiracy movies.
Feb 10, 1977 ive gone into it at some length here because the mcguffin of twilight s last gleaming is a measure of the movies woolyheadedness. Nov 15, 2017 1977 was a year of some high profile bombs which later achieved some cult status such as cross of iron, sorcerer and twilights last gleaming. Twilights last gleaming 1977 twilights last gleaming. Rent twilight s last gleaming 1977 starring burt lancaster and roscoe lee browne on dvd and bluray. High among idiosyncratic auteur robert aldrichs most powerful and intense dramas, twilights last gleaming is a thunderous political thriller and raceagainsttime doomsday classic. Twilights last gleaming 1977 masters of cinema dual format blu. There is something about the film that is determined to make a big bold statement about the vietnam war by contrast, in walter wagers original 1972 novel, the general was merely trying to clear his name after being convicted. Highestgrossing films of 1977 rank title studio domestic gross 1. Robert aldrichs thunderous political thriller and raceagainsttime doomsday classic starring burt lancaster and richard widmark. Jamie havlin takes a look at a newly rereleased political thriller from america. Sunday, june 8, in the smoky mountain theater at lake pointe landing retirement community, 333 thompson st. Twilights last gleaming 1977 robert aldrich synopsis.
Twilight s last gleaming is somewhere between a paranoid thriller, and a talky disaster film. Twilight s last gleaming is a 1977 thriller film directed by robert aldrich, starring burt lancaster and richard widmark lawrence dell lancaster, a renegade usaf general, escapes from a military prison and takes over an icbm silo near montana, threatening to launch its missiles and start world war iii unless the president reveals a top secret document to the american people about the. Watch twilight s last gleaming 1977 movie trailer instantly, no need to login. Twilights last gleaming 1977 directed by robert aldrich. It was the first of the carter administration in the us, whilst in the ussr, leonid brezhnev was at the helm. Jun 04, 2008 the hendersonville film society will show twilight s last gleaming at 2 p. My gf and i were doing the movie and chill thing one night and she told me to pick something that she had never seen. Twilights last gleaming 1977 we have invaded silo 3. Twilights last gleaming is a 1977 thriller film directed by robert aldrich and starring burt lancaster and richard widmark. Soured on america by his experiences as a pow in vietnam, general lawrence dell burt lancaster hopes that his government will someday tell. Loosely based on a 1971 novel, viper three by walter wager, it tells the story of lawrence dell, a renegade usaf general, who escapes from a military prison and takes.
Despite some flaws, twilight s last gleaming is a gripping drama that will have you on the edge of your seat until the bitter end. Twilight s last gleaming is above all a suspense film and the music is what keeps us in its grip the music and robert aldrichs professionalism. With burt lancaster, richard widmark, roscoe lee browne, joseph cotten. Twilight s last gleaming is a film directed by robert aldrich with burt lancaster, richard widmark, charles durning, melvyn douglas, year. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Twilights last gleaming 1977 robert aldrich, burt lancaster, richard widmark, roscoe lee browne, scifi, thriller. Robert aldrichs twilights last gleaming based on the novel viper 3 by walter wager is the story of general dell, played superbly by oscar winner burt lancaster, who was an exmilitary officer during the vietnam war. Burt lancaster, left, with paul winfield, plays a renegade general confronting the president about vietnam in robert aldrichs nuclear thriller twilights last. Twilights last gleaming came out ten years too early for the big cinematic vietnam guilt excoriation cycle that came about after oliver stones platoon 1986.
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