This movie puts the viewer in the awkward position of sympathizing with a character who is probably a terrorist. James Mason plays the leader of a group that's part of "The Organization," apparently the film's euphemism for the IRA. They are planning to hold up the payroll office of a local business in a city probably modeled on Belfast, although this city is not actually named. Neither do we find out why the "organization" needs the money, but I think we can safely assume that they are involved in the anti-British underground. These waffling ambiguities weaken a movie that becomes more rambling and pointless as it goes along. After Mason is wounded and separated from his compatriots, he encounters a variety of people, most of whom appear to be Irish, who either consider turning him in for the reward but hesitate because they fear that members of the "Organization" will seek them out for revenge, or just want to get rid of him as quickly as possible. Ironically, this man appears to be more feared than revered by the Irish people. At any rate, he staggers around town so openly, and lands in so many different places, you wonder why he isn't caught by the authorities much sooner! Towards the end, in one of the more contrived and expendable episodes in the movie, he even lands at the domicile of deranged artist Robert Newton, who desperately wants to paint the haunted look in his eyes! The picture attempts to turn Mason into a sort of persecuted Christ figure, but it doesn't work because we never really know how sorry we are supposed to be for this man. The film is extremely well made. The cinematography and music score are tops, and the first hour or so is quite gripping. The highly changeable Irish weather almost becomes another character, adding greatly to the picture's surreal atmosphere. Eventually, however, the makers of "Odd Man Out" seem to become almost as puzzled over what to do with the wounded man as the characters in their film.
Review of Odd Man Out
