SimonJack "Operation Amsterdam" is an excellent movie about a little known espionage mission and rescue raid early in World War II. The movie is based on true events from a novel by David E. Walker. Walker was a war correspondent and was connected with British military intelligence. After the war, he wrote 10 novels. Most were war-related. The most famous of his works was "Adventure in Diamonds," on which this movie is based. It went through 30 printings in four languages from 1955 to 1980. The story is about a special mission put together hastily to get the industrial diamonds out of Amsterdam after the Germans invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940. Amsterdam then was the diamond capital of the world – handling the bulk of the world's uncut diamonds. Today, that distinction goes to nearby Antwerp, Belgium. One wonders if author Walker had something to do with the operation, or if he just learned of it in his intelligence and journalist functions. Anyway, it's a nice plot with excellent technical production and other values. At least one other reviewer commented about the starkness of the street scenes and reality of the scenes around the harbor. I agree. This movies was made within 14 years after the end of the war, when it was possible to stage such scenes, and when the lay of the land hadn't changed so much form the war years. There were yet no modern buildings, ships and other things that one would see today. One or two people found it a slow-moving film. Well, if one expects lots of war action, that's true. But that's not what the story was about. I think the director and others did an admirable job in portraying the sense of uneasiness mixed with fear, confusion and worry among the people in Amsterdam as they awaited the German occupation. The cast are all very good. The leads especially are excellent. Peter Finch is Jan Smit, Eva Bartok is Anna, Tony Britton is Major Dillon Alexander Knox is Walter Keyster, Malcolm Keen is Johan Smit and Christopher Rhodes is Alex. I think the film showed very well what we learned in history – how many of the Jews were conflicted about giving up their wealth which might be used for bargaining chips later on. At that time, the Holocaust was just beginning and there was little knowledge of what would happen. To most people then, it probably seemed so heinous as to be unbelievable. But for our hindsight today, most people living now may have felt and believed as they did then. Even with the warnings of the persecution and oppression of Jews since Kirstallnact of 1933, many people couldn't fathom the depths of depravity to which the human race could fall in the ensuring Nazi pogrom. One other aspect of this movie is noteworthy. This film, made in 1959, depicts an ugly side of some of the Dutch population at the outbreak of the war. A significant number of people were sympathizers with Germany, if not with the Nazi party. And, there were quite a few collaborators. A couple of other later movies about the Dutch Resistance during the war bring that point home. It was in Amsterdam that a family hid Anne Frank's family, but a suspicious neighbor eventually betrayed the Franks and their protectors. In this film, a sizable number of the Dutch military in Amsterdam seem to have been won over to the German cause. German paratroopers were used to take some key places and foment disorder, but it's not likely that they replaced so many Dutch soldiers in uniform.While not a film with lots of action, there is considerable suspense and intrigue in "Operation Amsterdam" to keep viewers on the edge of our seats. It's historical value make it an important film to include in any serious World War II film collection.

ianlouisiana It shouldn't be forgotten that anti - Semitism was quite widespread in Dutch society prior to the arrival of the Nazis.It is by no means accurate to describe the reception given to the German troops as a heroes' welcome,but there were a significant number of people in Holland willing to adopt a pragmatism that perhaps seems a tad too accommodating in retrospect. You will see little of this in "Operation Amsterdam" set in the first days of the Nazi invasion where most of the population seem to possess a very sensible desire to put as much distance between themselves and the advancing Germans as possible.And who can blame them with the Luftwaffe's penchant for strafing refugee columns all over Europe. In the circumstances it took not a little courage for the Dutch diamond merchants to hand over their stock of industrial diamonds to the British rather than curry favour with the Nazi hordes already pouring across the dykes. Led by a not really up to the job Tony Britton (he makes a right pigs' breakfast of doing away with a Dutch soldier),they are landed by destroyer during an air raid and make their way to Amsterdam in a grand Mercedes convertible driven by Miss Eva Bartok whom they have saved from a watery grave after she has attempted suicide on seeing her fiancé's boat bombed by the Germans.Presumably as part of the grieving process she spends the rest of the day(it seems much longer) driving the boys round the city getting shot at. "Operation Amsterdam" gives every impression of having been fatally mauled in the editing suite.Little master Melvyn Hayes appears as from a hole in the stage,plays a pipe organ,gets shot,smiles bravely and disappears again.Mr Peter Finch's coat collar goes up and down seemingly at random,a wheel change to the Merc whilst under fire from a Messerschmidt goes along at a pace that is almost indecent......... Alexander Knox has a certain rueful charm,Miss Bartok plenty of pluck,Mr Finch looks a little bewildered for most of the movie,possibly wondering why Mr Knox is with them in the first place as he seems to have no point. John le Mesurier is sublimely out of place as a Dutch Colonel with a mysterious smile,but it's nice to see him anyway. Had the picture been made 10 years earlier it might have had a bit more relevance,but a Britain on the cusp on the 60s and with most of Europe moving towards some sort of detente it was not the time to be reminding people of a time when its citizens were at each others' throats. Miss Bartok I believe was a "celebrity" here in the UK for being a close friend of the Marquis of Milford Haven.When we look at her then,we are seeing a proto Victoria Beckham,but I'm not sure that she'd choose to be remembered that way,rather as a mysterious Euro - enigma driving her convertible through the sun - dappled streets of Amsterdam before kissing Peter Finch goodbye and disappearing - mysteriously.

Rickee This movie has a premise with a lot of potential: a small group of agents has a just 14 hours to get into Amsterdam and take out all the industrial diamonds there. But the movie is ruined by three gigantic flaws.First, it is incompetently edited. It is obvious that some key scenes were left out and as a result, the plot is hard to follow. For example, at one point the agents go off to visit the mother of one of them. The next time we see them, they are back from the visit and have a new character, Willem, with them. All we get is a one sentence explanation for who he is and why he is with them.Second, the motivations of the various Dutch army units are baffling and never explained. Some of them help the agents while others try to kill the agents. At some points, different Dutch army units shoot at each other. We are never told why some of them are trying to kill the agents. Are they disloyal soldiers trying to help the Germans? Or do they believe that the agents are working for the Germans? Or do they think the diamonds should stay in Holland even if it is overrun by the Germans? Or do they think the Germans will fail to capture Amsterdam and, thus, it is unnecessary to take the diamonds out? Third, a group of about a dozen Dutch civilians help the agents get diamonds out of a bank safe and blow up a oil storage facility. It is never explained who these people are. They are not the Dutch underground. That was formed only after the Germans overran Holland; but this movie is set before they'd captured Amsterdam.

manuel-pestalozzi The movie makes the best out of a fairly unique story that is probably based on true historical facts. It is about a one day expedition to Amsterdam in May 1940, shortly before the arrival of the invading German troops. In a race against time exiled Dutch jewelers try to get all the industrial diamonds out of the country and bring them to Britain before the Germans can take them. It is a quick in and out operation organised by the British government that has to be accomplished in one day - and no easy task as the jewelers have to be convinced by sheer argument it is the right and sensible thing to do (hard to decide in the Netherlands in May 1940, I am certain).In a strange way this movie is surrealistic and realistic at the same time. There is a lot of good location shooting, the sun drenched streets of Amsterdam are virtually deserted, the atmosphere is ghostly. At times there is gunfire in the distance. There are some disoriented Dutch soldiers hanging around, or shall I say loitering? The effect is strangely threatening. At one time two groups of soldiers start shooting at each other. In another scene, one of the day trippers steps into a pub in a totally empty square. And there they are, the Dutch! Sitting peacefully behind their pints and discussing the latest news from the front. The transition really took me completely by surprise, it was incongruous but strangely effective and somehow totally believable.There are harrowing scenes. When the day trippers disembark, the harbour is in chaos and full of refugees – a strong contrast to the mentioned deserted streets in the town center. When they finally succeed in organising a meeting with all of Amsterdam's important jewelers, their Jewish colleagues express the opinion that for them it might be wiser not to make the Germans angry by giving away the jewels. They can be convinced to agree to the evacuation of the stones that are invaluable to the armament industry, although it is made perfectly clear that the day trippers can take no refugees with them. All these issues are treated in a rational and unemotional way which actually strengthens the impact of the tragic situation.In addition the movie also has some action scenes, a car chase and, as the culmination of the absurd general situation, the heist of a jewel depository by partisans who help the day trippers, with an ensuing fierce shootout with a detachment of Dutch troops. The acting is good, Peter Finch (Network) is cool as usual and gives a convincing performance as the son of an eminent Amsterdam jeweler and leader of the expedition. Eva Bartok is stylishly beautiful and enigmatic as a Dutch woman with uncertain alignments who joins the day trippers after they saved her from a suicide attempt (driving her car over the pier in the harbor, a car, incidentally, that comes in mighty handy). So, a hell of a lot goes on in Operation Amsterdam.