ma-cortes A renegade USAF general, Lawrence Dell (Burt Lancaster) and his band (Paul Winfield , Burt Young , William Smith) , escape from a military prison and take over an ICBM silo near Montana . They have invaded Silo 3 and are prepared to launch nine nuclear missiles . Head saboteur General Lawrence threatens to provoke World War 3 unless the government and President of the United States (Charles Durning , though Paul Newman was offered the role , but turned it down) carry out their conditions , as they demand the followings : ¨Ten million dollars , Air Force One (it was only painted on one side) and you Mr President¨ as he must reveal details of a secret meeting and confess the Vietnam policies and crimes . Thrilling film about nuclear threatening that contains noisy action , suspense , intrigue , thrills and being pretty entertaining . One of the very few films made in the late 1970's to be shown with an intermission and an extended use of split screens functioning to a large degree in tightening the intrigue . The movie's weakest point is the television style and some ridiculous dialogues as when an enemy appears and Paul Winfield tells ¨Perhaps he might be a midget¨and Lancaster responds : ¨There are no midgets in the United States Air Force¨. Based on a novel by Walter Wager titled ¨Viper three¨ with interesting screenplay from Ronald M. Cohen and Edward Huebsch . The secret policy is closely based on the 1957 book "Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy" by Henry Kissinger, in which the future Secretary of State outlines a strategy committing the US to promoting regional conflicts to deter the Soviets' initiating full-scale war. Top-notch acting by Lancaster as a thinking madman who holds America to ransom by kidnapping atomic missiles . Burt Lancaster initially turned the script down when he was first approached about the project, but eventually agreed to do it after Robert Aldrich became attached to the picture. This is Burt Lancaster's fourth collaboration with director Robert Aldrich, after Apache (1954), Veracruz (1954) and Ulzana's raid (1972). Very good support cast such as Roscoe Lee Browne as James Forrest , Joseph Cotten as Secretary of State , Melvyn Douglas as Zachariah Guthrie , Richard Jaeckel as Capt. Stanford , William Marshall as Attorney General , Gerald S. O'Loughlin as Brig. Gen. O'Rourke , Richard Widmark as Gen. Martin and final film of Charles McGraw , Lionel Murton and Leif Erickson . Atmospheric cinematography by Robert Hauser , all of the scenes were shot with two cameras running . Thrilling and suspenseful musical score by the master Jerry Goldsmith . The motion picture was professionally directed by Robert Aldrich , he even turned down a large salary and a 10% profit stake in ¨A bridge too far¨1977) in order to make this film and he finished the film ten days ahead of schedule . Here Robert Aldrich gave a tense and brilliant direction . Aldrich began writing and directing for TV series in the early 1950s, and directed his first feature in 1953 (Big Leaguer ,1953). Soon thereafter he established his own production company and produced most of his own films, collaborating in the writing of many of them . Directed in a considerable plethora of genres but almost all of his films contained a subversive undertone . He was an expert on warlike (Dirty Dozen , The Angry Hills , Attack , Ten seconds to hell) and Western (The Frisko kid , Ulzana's raid, Apache , Veracruz , The last sunset) . Rating : acceptable and decent movie , it's a must see for Burt Lancaster fans .

JasparLamarCrabb A great late career film from Robert Aldrich. Three convicts escape from a military prison and commandeer a nuclear missile silo in Montana, holding the US hostage until it exposes the country's true motives for its involvement in Vietnam. Aldrich, one of Hollywood's great liberals lays an anti-government stance on pretty thick while making a tense, highly enjoyable thriller. Burt Lancaster, as a general railroaded by the government on a murder-one rap, is the head con with Paul Winfield and Burt Young joining him as ne'er do wells with very short fuses. Charles Durning is a rather too good to be true President and his cabinet is populated by the likes of Joseph Cotten, William Marshall and Melvyn Douglas. They don't really have much to do (or say). The focus of the film lies in the test of wills between Lancaster and military goon Richard Widmark. It's a taut, highly suspenseful film despite Aldrich's inflammatory preaching. Lancaster is dynamite as a self righteous career soldier, disillusioned with his own government and demanding that it come clean. Winfield & Young offer great support and William Smith appears briefly as one of Lancaster's unlucky cohorts. Set in the US but filmed in Germany. Gerald S. O'Laughlin, Richard Jaeckel and Charles McGraw are in it too. The rousing score is by Jerry Goldsmith.

Andrew Huggett Very good pre-apocalypse/conspiracy/anti-Vietnam war film. Some genuinely suspenseful moments. Technically superb quality in the print I saw which actually shows so much detail that the film sets have an undefinable slightly phony/cheap feel about them – particularly the scenes set in the Oval office and on board Air Force One (although this might be due to the film getting a little dated now). The characterisation of the President is also slightly odd and came across to me as untrustworthy although we are supposed to believe he has a change of heart over releasing classified information. The ending is ambiguous – was the promise kept or broken? A long film it does not outstay it's welcome and is quite gripping to watch.It would be interesting to see this film remade today with current technology (both in terms of film- making SFX and also from the point of view of current USA missile firing technology).Good use of split-screen to show simultaneous action (and even overlapping dialogue). This works particularly well for the scenes involving security cameras outside the silo.

chow913 Disgruntled Nam Vet Controls The Button 'Twilight's Last Gleaming' is extremely original and gripping edge of your seat action. It ranks right up there with, 'Failsafe' 'War Games' and 'Crimson Tide' as one of the all time great nuclear holocaust films.The plot: Four terrorists led by Burt Lancaster manage to take control of a nuclear missile silo in Montana. As implausible as it is we're gripped by not knowing whom they are or their motives.It's cleverly revealed that Lancaster is a disgruntled Vietnam vet general who wanted to expose the truth about the war's motives through the release of classified documents. As a result the military framed him for murder. Lancaster organized a prison break and with nine missiles at his disposal he speaks with the president directly and demands the documents be made public.Lancaster comes off as one of the few movie terrorists we sympathize with even though he's just killed American soldiers.We also feel for the honorable president who is left with an impossible choice, release documents which could destroy the country, or face a nuclear holocaust.The film's villains are the military generals who caused this mess and refuse to allow the disclosure of the documents. They'd prefer a nuclear war! 'Twilight's Last Gleaming' really keeps you on the edge of your seat for 2.5 hours! It shows how powerful drama can overcome implausible Hollywood cliques such as escaped convicts taking over a secure missile silo, even knowing its traps.Also that Lancaster and Paul Winfield would be stupid enough to simply walk out of the bunker. And that "military snipers" would spray and pray with M16s in the final scene. And that NO paramedics would be on site.Paul Winfield is horribly miscast as a jive talking street thug. Paul Winfield the most eloquent black actor today reduced to a stereotypical token black guy? It doesn't work. Winfield can't play the fool no matter how hard he tries. But he does get to say one of the best lines in movie history: "To get out of that sxxxhole I would've told you I was George Wallace with a tan." A classic sound bite.