Watch 36 Hours
- Approved
- 1965
- 1 hr 55 min
-
7.3 (4,758)
In the 1964 movie "36 Hours," James Garner plays Major Jefferson Pike, a US Intelligence officer who is captured by German agents in Lisbon during World War II. He wakes up in a secluded hospital in Germany, with no recollection of how he got there. The hospital staff tells him that he was in a car accident and has suffered from an amnesia that has wiped out the last five years of his life.
Pike's physical and psychological well-being are initially overseen by Dr. Gerber (Werner Peters), a sympathetic and caring physician, and Nurse Anna Hedler (Eva Marie Saint), who is assigned to look after him around the clock. But when Gen. Heinrich von Kahlenberge (Rod Taylor) appears on the scene, Pike's world is turned upside down. He is told that the war has ended and that he has been in a coma for six years. Von Kahlenberge informs him that the Nazis won the war, and the United States has been divided into four zones, with the Germans in control of the eastern states.
Still reeling from his amnesia, Pike is eager to return to his own time and country, and the Nazis find themselves with an opportunity to extract valuable intelligence from him. They hope that Pike will reveal to them the Allied plans for the invasion of Europe, which is scheduled to take place in just 36 hours.
As the clock ticks down, Pike is subjected to a psychological onslaught that blurs the lines between reality and deception. Von Kahlenberge and Hedler employ every trick in the book to convince Pike of the existence of the new world order, including manipulating his surroundings and creating fictitious scenarios that support their claims.
But Pike slowly starts to detect certain inconsistencies in their story and begins to ask questions. Is he really in 1950, as they claim? Who won the war? What happened to his friends and family? And what is the truth behind the strange nurse who keeps visiting him and who seems to know more than she should?
As the suspense builds, Pike becomes increasingly desperate to escape and learn the truth. With the help of a sympathetic German major (John Banner), he puts together a plan to escape and make his way back to the Allied lines. But the clock is ticking, and the Germans are closing in.
"36 Hours" is a taut and engrossing thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. The acting is top-notch, with James Garner giving a solid performance as the confused and determined Pike. Eva Marie Saint is excellent as the initially cold and detached Nurse Hedler, who gradually reveals her own vulnerabilities and emotions. And Rod Taylor steals the show as the cold and calculating Von Kahlenberge, whose unrelenting pursuit of Pike is motivated by his desperate desire to win the war at all costs.
Director George Seaton does a fine job of keeping the tension high throughout, using clever camera work and lighting to create an ominous and claustrophobic atmosphere. The script, based on a story by Roald Dahl, is smart and suspenseful, with plenty of unexpected twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very end.
Overall, "36 Hours" is a thrilling and well-crafted movie that stands the test of time. Whether you're a fan of World War II dramas or just enjoy a good suspenseful thriller, this movie is definitely worth watching.
36 Hours is a 1965 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 55 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 61.