Man in the Middle
Despite its exotic WWII locations, Guy Hamilton'sMan in the Middleis a courtroom drama with Robert Mitchum as a military lawyer urged by his superiors to cover up the facts behind a civilian murder committed by a military officer. Set in 1944 India, Mitchum plays a lieutenant colonel assigned to defend American soldier Keenan Wynn after he murders a British civilian; Mitchum quickly discovers that everyone involved in the case, from top general Barry Sullivan to British medical officer Alexander Knox, wants him to fall in line with a rush to execute Wynn and save face, despite his obvious insanity. Mitchum is typically solid in the lead, and the supporting cast, which includes France Nuyen as his semi-love interest and Sam Wanamaker as an army psychiatrist, offer fine performances; Hamilton, who would directGoldfingerthe following year, handles the legal fireworks with finesse. The DVD includes the original trailer as well as a gallery of promotional photographs (which play up the barely-there romance between Mitchum and Nuyen).-- Paul Gaita