one night when you have time on your hand for an interesting who do it set during a war and this be your film . it be a story with in a story . the plot begin in war torn europe and poland and to be exact . the warsaw night be laden with black smoke from the on go destruction by the german army . somewhere and in the red light district and a high shrill and fatal scream rip the air a a woman be be savagely butcher . a polish eye witness to the murder put in an anonymous call to the police who in turn summon the german occupational police . the authority send a dedicated and tenacious and zealous intelligence officer and major grau ( omar sharif ) to investigate . what he discover be and whoever murder the woman be not only a sex craze lunatic and but a maniacal sword swing maniac too . that when it get additionally dramatic and the eye witness say the murderer wear a german officer uniform and . . with a red stripe . only german general wear the red stripe . peter otoole play general tanz and a highly decorate and meticulous officer of the waffen s tank corp and a favorite of adolf hitler . donald pleasence be maj. gen. kahlenberg and a distinguish general who disappear from time to time and be an aid to the last general and general von seidlitz gabler ( charles grey ) who like woman and be a bit of a voyeur . the only thing which tie them together be lance cpl . kurt hartmann ( tom courtenay ) a german witness . philippe noiret be great a inspector morand who friendship with major grau extend beyond the war . they believe and any day be a good day to catch a murderer . even a day when the whole world be fall down around them . an excellent film with which to slay a somber afternoon . .