American intelligence office Major Jefferson Pike (James Garner) is tasked with uncovering German troop positions on the eve of D-Day. He's on his way to Lisbon to make contact with an unreliable source when he is kidnapped. He wakes up in what appears to be a hospital on an American army base in 1950. In reality, it's a German creation to extract the D-Day plans. Anna Hedler (Eva Marie Saint) is pretending to be his nurse and his wife. Major Walter Gerber (Rod Taylor) is pretending to be the psychiatrist treating him for his memory issues.
This is a really interesting premise. For such an intriguing premise, there is surprisingly little tension for the first half. It's not until Pike uncovers the ruse when the tension truly builds. Then I realized that this movie would work much better without telling the audience the truth at the beginning. This should be a mystery like a Twilight Zone story. The audience should uncover the Nazi scheme along with Pike.
There is also a problem with the twist. It is such an obvious twist that Pike's intelligence is diminished when he falls into the trap. The operation had multiple dates and he would be expected to keep the secret all the way to the last date and beyond. He can't trust much more than the days he experiences. It's almost like stealing candy from children. After that, the story goes through more necessary turns. The escape is probably the least probable. The ending should be him holding out until the invasion and the Nazis get the shock of their lives.
This is a really interesting premise. For such an intriguing premise, there is surprisingly little tension for the first half. It's not until Pike uncovers the ruse when the tension truly builds. Then I realized that this movie would work much better without telling the audience the truth at the beginning. This should be a mystery like a Twilight Zone story. The audience should uncover the Nazi scheme along with Pike.
There is also a problem with the twist. It is such an obvious twist that Pike's intelligence is diminished when he falls into the trap. The operation had multiple dates and he would be expected to keep the secret all the way to the last date and beyond. He can't trust much more than the days he experiences. It's almost like stealing candy from children. After that, the story goes through more necessary turns. The escape is probably the least probable. The ending should be him holding out until the invasion and the Nazis get the shock of their lives.