The Offence

Name: The Offence
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: May 11, 1973
Duration: 112 min
Rating: 70
Cast: Anthony Sagar, Derek Newark, Ian Bannen, John Hallam, Peter Bowles

1973

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Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews

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Movie Details & Credits

C.B. Films S.A. | Release Date: May 11, 1973 | R

Starring: Anthony Sagar, Derek Newark, Ian Bannen, John Hallam, Peter Bowles, Richard Moore, Ronald Radd, Sean Connery, Trevor Howard, Vivien Merchant

Summary: A burnt-out British police detective finally snaps whilst interrogating a suspected child molester.

Director: Sidney Lumet

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 112 min

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Critic Reviews

Kevin Thomas

A splendid, unjustly neglected 1973 British film in which Sean Connery, at his very best under Sidney Lumet's direction, plays a veteran police sergeant haunted by years of contact with terrible crimes and on the brink of a total breakdown. [27 May 1990, p.10]

The Guardian Philip French

The atmosphere and performances are sustained at a terrifying pitch, and the movie ends suddenly, leaving the audience to deal with the ideas and emotions aroused. Read full review

John Bleasdale

The Offence is almost the definition of murk, unrelenting and unforgiving. Read full review

Vincent Canby

The revelations explode predictably, like the ingredients of a 24-hour cold capsule, but the dramatic impact is real while one is watching it. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

There's a powerful confrontation of authority and accused between police sergeant Sean Connery and suspected child molester Ian Bannen in Sidney Lumet's The Offence. A brilliant scene, however, does not in itself make for a brilliant overall feature. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

A powerful and complex performance by Connery is somewhat weakened by Lumet's typically stiff and stagey direction, which tends to sap the life out of the film. Read full review

IndieWire Oliver Lyttelton

An interesting but not entirely rewarding inversion on Lumet’s continued study of law enforcement. Read full review

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