The Man In The Glass Booth (1975)

A wealthy Jewish industrialist (Maximilian Schell), who is a survivor of a Nazi concentration camp, lives in a Manhattan penthouse. He appears to be paranoid about being followed and that someone is after him. He is later kidnapped by Israeli agents and taken to Israel to be put on trial ..... as a Nazi war criminal. Based on the novel and play by Robert Shaw (yes, the actor) and directed by Arthur Hiller (SILVER STREAK). This is a provocative and thought provoking film. It is also a filmed play and in spite of some attempts to open it up, its theatrical roots are obvious. This is also evident in Schell's performance which is very theatrical and played to the balcony. There can be some justification for that choice because of the character's emotional and mental instability. But make no mistake about it, this is a one man show and it belongs to Schell who delivers a searing performance. One can debate endlessly what the point of the film is but its layers of complexity will have you pondering much food for thought. Hiller's direction is adequate, more of a traffic cop than anything else. With Lois Nettleton as the prosecuting attorney, the only other actor to make an impression besides Schell, Luther Adler, Lawrence Pressman, Lloyd Bochner and Berry Kroeger.