This is a satisfactory TV mini-series about spies, which has a very unusual plot. It lasts for 240 minutes. It is based upon a novel by David Morrell. Robert Mitchum plays a Deputy Director of the CIA named Elliott who is a real old-timer and 'has always been around'. And during that time he has been busy building a secret network of assassins, 18 of them in fact, who answer only to him and ask no questions. His method was to find pairs of boys in orphanages, aged about seven, who had formed a close bond between each other and become a surrogate father to them. He did this nine times in nine different cities, but none of the pairs of 'brothers' knew that the others existed. This story concerns the pair whose code names are Romulus and Remus, played by Peter Strauss and David Morse. When the story begins, they are totally loyal to their 'father', Elliott, and it has never occurred to them that he would or could ever betray or sacrifice them, since they entirely believe in his paternal love for them. What they do not realize, but eventually discover, is that he is a power-mad maniac who has entered into an international cabal with senior intelligence officers in four other countries to manipulate world events and 'keep the stupid politicians in check'. Elliott is intimately linked with the creation of safe sanctuaries for spies where operatives from any agency of any country can seek shelter. These shelters are known as 'Abelard Sanctuaries', after the mediaeval philosopher Abelard (yes, the one who was in love with Heloise). Anyone who breaks the Abelard Sanction by killing one of the operatives on the premises is instantly terminated. It is meant to be where all types can let their hair down, dress for dinner and sip champagne, and of course be safe from being killed until they leave. The five men who set up the Abelard network in 1947 are the five grand conspirators, and Elliott is the protégé of the American one. During the course of the story, Peter Strauss kills Elliott's British counterpart. A very pretty Israeli colonel of Mossad is in the story, played by Concetta Sellecca. She and Strauss (Romulus) were in love before and then separated by events, but come together again in this story, and jointly struggle against the massive web of conspiracy. There are lots of helicopters, aerial attacks, racing cars, barbed wire fences, guns and Uzis, knives, hand to hand combat, desperate situations, people cornered who escape, and many a thrill of that kind. It is all good diversionary entertainment. And Peter and Concetta kiss in between escaping, shooting, and chasing bad guys. You see, Elliott decides to sacrifice Strauss and sets him up after having him assassinate five international businessmen who endanger his plays for control of the world scene. So that does not go down well with Strauss when he figures out what is happening. And things go on happening, four hours' worth of them. This is a guy's thing, not something that would appeal to women.
Review of Brotherhood of the Rose
