The Second Victory ** (1987, Anthony Andrews, Helmut Griem, Max von Sydow, Mario Adorf, Birgit Doll, Renée Soutendijk, Richard Morant, Wolfgang Preiss) – Classic Movie Review 12,704

The 1987 film The Second Victory stars Anthony Andrews, who coasts smoothly through this professionally crafted, old-fashioned intrigue thriller as Major Hanlon, a British Army officer conducting a manhunt after his sergeant is killed by a sniper. 

‘The War Is Over… But The Killing Has Just Begun!’

Director Gerald Thomas’s 1987 British/ West German drama film The Second Victory stars a too-relaxed Anthony Andrews, who coasts smoothly through this professionally crafted, old-fashioned intrigue thriller as Major Hanlon. He is a British Army officer conducting a manhunt after his sergeant is killed by a sniper just after the end of World War Two in the winter of 1945 in Allied-occupied Austria.

There is capable work from a very good international cast, including Helmut Griem as Karl Fischer, Max von Sydow as Dr Huber, Mario Adorf, Birgit Doll, Renée Soutendijk, Richard Morant, Wolfgang Preiss and Jonathan Cecil, who add a touch of class to the proceedings, and both the action and suspense are reasonably well handled by Carry On director Thomas. Cinematographer Alan Hume films in Austria as well as Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England.

The screenplay is by Morris West, based on the 1958 novel by Morris West.

It is made by Melaleuka North Investments and released by Filmworld Distributors. But it was unreleased in UK cinemas, and it went straight to video in its home country.

The cast are Anthony Andrews, Helmut Griem, Max von Sydow, Mario Adorf ,Renée Soutendijk, Birgit Doll, Wolfgang Preiss, Günther Maria Halmer, Jacques Breuer, Wolfgang Reichmann, Barbara Valentin, Sissy Höfferer, Richard Morant, Immy Schell and Jonathan Cecil.

English actor Anthony Andrews (born 12 January 1948) memorably played Lord Sebastian Flyte in the ITV miniseries Brideshead Revisited (1981) and won Golden Globe and BAFTA television awards.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,704

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