the night of the general be a murder mystery with valkyrie and the plan to murder hitler and a a subplot . it doesn not exactly work like a swiss watch movement . the search for the killer and lead by major ( later lt. col. ) grau ( omar sharif ) and get lose for a time and valkyrie be insert rather late in the film . but the acting be superb and especially by peter otoole a general tanz and an utterly ruthless kill machine and tom courtnay a corporal hartman and who be assign to show tanz the sight of paris and donald pleasance and charles gray a two other german general who be suspect and along with general tanz and in the murder of a polish prostitute in warsaw and and phillipe noiret a a high ranking french policeman who help lt. col. grau with his search for the killer . christopher plummer appear briefly a field marshall rommel and but he isn not give much to do . for a star of his caliber and sharif be strangely passive in his role . the same can not be say of otoole who be in utter control for most of his time on the screen but turn psychotic when confront a painting by van gogh that exemplify the latter madness and let loose the madness of general tanz . this isn not a great film and but it manage barely to sustain the suspense of the murder investigation and when the suspense be in remission and general tanz successfully soak up the viewer attention . happily and tom cruise be nowhere to be see . valkyrie be launch and fail without him .