OPERATION CROSSBOW Is A Remarkably Realistic World War II Espionage Saga

I saw OPERATION CROSSBOW in the mid 1960s when it first came out and was surprised by how low key and how remarkably effective it was compared to the average Hollywood World War II movie. Even as a young teenager I found the story gripping and quickly got used to the lack of Hollywood extras such as a non-stop score, plenty of action, and a budding romance between the two leads. It was my introduction to the British “stiff upper lip” approach that concentrates more on plot and character than on action set pieces.

However when you consider the scope of the finale and that it was done without the aid of CGI, it’s even more impressive now then it was then. Although Sophia Loren is giving top billing (thanks to her husband producer Carlo Ponti) and George Peppard is a major player, most of the actors are appropriately British as this film was made by them and for them. Casting Loren and Peppard guaranteed that the movie would have international and American appeal as well and the film was very successful.

The story concerns 3 Allied agents who are smuggled into Holland to try and thwart the German missile program. V1 and V2 rockets had been raining down on London in what are remarkably recreated scenes of row houses and street buildings being blown up. There is a remarkable “you are there” feel to these scenes (although thanks to home video and the pause button you can spot a nuclear power plant in the distance before the first bomb drops).

The early scenes from the German point-of-view concerning the development and testing of the flying bombs are absolutely fascinating even if they may not be 100% accurate. It’s also neat having the actors speak their lines in their character’s language. British filmmaker Michael Anderson, who has directed everything from 1984 to AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS to LOGAN’S RUN, takes a slow but steady approach that suits the material admirably. If you’re a WWII buff and enjoy pre-Swinging London British cinema, then OPERATION CROSSBOW needs to be on your list of must see movies.