El incidente

I was pleasantly suprised by this made for TV murder movie.

Walter Matthau plays his part well and the storyline has enough twists and turns to keep your attention up. Added to this is that there is a strong storyline that doesn't insult the intelligence too much and has elements of realism to it (although not quite sure how German POW's managed to make it to the USA from Germany)

Worth a look 7/10

One of the earlier reviews of this fine little TV movie suggested that it stretched credulity to believe that German POWs would be found so far from Europe. Yet by the end of the war, over 375,000 German POWs were in several hundred camps throughout the United States, mostly in the South and Southwest, far from critical war industries in the Midwest and along the Eastern seaboard. There were over 425,000 total Axis prisoners in the US by 1945.

The Incident is a really well-made movie. Director Joseph Sargent, still at it in his late 70s or early 80s, created memorable TV and theatrical films such as "The Marcus Nelson Murders" (to become Kojak), "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three", "Miss Evers' Boys", and "A Lesson Before Dying."

This movie was interesting and unpredictable. Walter Matthau is ordered by a federal judge to defend a German POW accused of killing the town's doctor. He doesn't want the job and has no defense to present. The townfolks react badly at times to him having the case, but fortunately the reaction is mild and the movie doesn't dwell on that, as a million other movies have done. There is no real threat to him or his daughter-in-law or granddaughter.

William Schallert, the town cop and a family friend, ends up helping Mr. Matthau look for evidence of what happened the night the doctor was killed. They find out something shocking. Just as it's revealed the judge has a shocking agenda. But is the prosecuting attorney in on it, too? A well-done film that balances the events of a murder trial with a family dealing with the war on a very personal level.

In the early to mid-1990s, three TV movies were made starring Walter Matthau and Harry Morgan. Each story is about the same characters and it follows them over several years during the 1940s. I saw the second, "Against Her Will: An Incident in Baltimore" and had no idea it was a sequel or that there was a sequel to it. However, the acting and production were so good in "Against Her Will", I decided to find the other two films, "The Incident" and "Incident in a Small Town"...and, fortunately, all three are on YouTube.

This first movie has an impressive cast of familiar faces. In addition to Matthau and Morgan, Barnard Hughes, Robert Carradine, and William Schallert are on hand to provide support.

This film is set in Colorado* during WWII and soon after the story begins, a doctor (Barnard Hughes) is beaten to death at a nearby Prisoner of War camp. A German prisoner is soon charged with his murder and Herman Cobb (Walter Matthau) is shocked when he is chosen to represent the German. After all, Cobb's own son is in Europe fighting the Nazis and Cobb has no interest in the case. But the presiding judge (Harry Morgan) is insistent...and even threatens Cobb to get him to take the case.

Soon after taking the case, it becomes obvious that the prisoner's conviction is pretty much a foregone conclusion and perhaps that is why such a small-time lawyer was 'persuaded' to take the case! But there's far, far more to the story than this...and, believe it or not, it's based on real cases which occurred during the war...cases in which German prisoners were murdering other German prisoners!

The acting in this film is simply supurb....which is what I'd expect with such a cast. Additionally, the writing and production itself clearly are stellar as well. In fact, it's so good that it's surprising it was made for TV...but not at all surprising that the film led to the sequels.

*Oddly, the film is set in the Colorado area but the sequel is in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. Apparently, the Judge moved from Colorado to Maryland...though this was never explained.

Great story, sensitive direction and superb acting from Peter Firth and Walter Mathau. Firth best known for Flipside of Dominic Hide, Rome and Spooks plays against character but is utterly convincing as a Nazi charged with the murder of a fellow POW.

Mathau as always turns in wonderful performance as the small town lawyer his style contrasting brilliantly with Firth's powerful but minimalist acting. Story raises many issues that are especially powerful in today's highly partisan political climate when we strangers living in our midst.

Watch this movie you will not be disappointed.