The Assassination of Trotsky (1972)

Director:

Joseph Losey

Writer:

Nicholas Mosley (writer)

Release Date:

20 April 1972 (Italy)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | History | Thriller

Tagline:

For one moment, they hold history in their hands. With one terrible blow, they make it

Plot:

After having been forced to leave the Soviet Union 1929 Trotsky has ended up in Mexico 1940. He is still busy with the politics...

Plot Keywords:

Communist | Politics | Mexico | Assassin | Exile

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Richard Burton	...	Leon Trotsky
Alain Delon	...	Frank Jackson
Romy Schneider	...	Gita Samuels
Valentina Cortese	...	Natalia Sedowa Trotsky
Enrico Maria Salerno	...	Salazar
Luigi Vannucchi	...	Ruiz
Duilio Del Prete	...	Felipe
Jean Desailly	...	Alfred Rosmer
Simone Valère	...	Marguerite Rosmer
Carlos Miranda	...	Sheldon Harte
Peter Chatel	...	Otto
Michael Forest	...	Jim (as Mike Forrest)
Marco Lucantoni	...	Seva Trotsky - Trotsky's nephew
Claudio Brook	...	Roberto
Jack Betts	...	Lou (as Hunt Powers)

Also Known As:

L'assassinat de Trotsky (France)
L'assassinio di Trotsky (Italy)
Life of Leon Trotsky (Philippines: English title)

Runtime:

103 min | Australia:106 min

Country:

Italy | France | UK

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 | USA:R | Iceland:16

Filming Locations:

Italy

Company:

Dino de Laurentiis Cinematografica

Trivia:

Joseph Losey originally offered the part of Leon Trotsky to Dirk Bogarde, with whom he had made five other films. Losey admitted that the script was terrible, but told Bogarde that it would be revised. Bogarde turned the role down, embittering Losey, who felt that Bogarde didn't trust him. Richard Burton, who had worked with Losey on _Boom! (1968)_ did trust Losey enough to take the part, even though he was shown the same script.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: A character passes a wall with a graffiti-image of Woody Woodpecker. The first appearance of Woody Woodpecker was in the cartoon "Knock Knock" which was released 25th of November 1940, two months after Trotski was assassinated.

Quotes:

Gita Samuels: You're in a fine state! God, has someone cut your tongue off? Why do you get like this? Is it the altitude you're in- or is it something you've eaten?

all part of everyone's history

As I understand it, "The Assassination of Trotsky" has been considered by many a rather crummy movie. I didn't find it such at all (of course, after you've seen pieces of crap like "Everyone Says I Love You" and "Baryshnya-Krestyanka", almost anything seems good). The movie focuses less on Leon Trotsky (Richard Burton) than on his assassin, the enigmatic Frank Jackson (Alain Delon). I thought that a really effective scene was the bullfight: we know that the matador is eventually going to kill the bull, though the emphasis is on everything leading up to it (sort of like what happens in the movie).

Overall, I thought that the movie was worth seeing. It shows how although Trotsky felt betrayed by what the Soviet Union had turned into under Stalin, he hadn't abandoned his mission of promoting international socialism. I wonder what he would have thought of the Soviet leaders after Stalin, had he lived to witness the changes there.

Also starring Romy Schneider and Valentina Cortese.