john frankenheimer drama of itinerant skydiver intersect with small town doldrums be heavy on atmosphere but frustratingly ambiguous in it storytelling . not have read james drought source novel and it hard to say just what go wrong here . perhaps in an attempt to avoid conventional melodramatics and adapter william hanley script be keep a low key and naturalistic a possible and to the extent that all of the silence and unspoken word end up convey practically nothing of the character motivation beyond a kind of inchoate yearning . usually i be all for script that do not shout and scream and that rather rely on subtlety and restraint and but this one be so elliptical that it own best intention be undermine . the end seem flat and pointless . yes and a death have occur and but have anyone in the story really change . it particularly frustrate give the talent involve . star burt lancaster and deborah kerr and with support from young player like scott wilson and gene hackman and and bonnie bedelia and give strong and convincing portrayal . add to that some remarkable aerial photography of skydive derring do plus a love scene which feature the beautiful ms. kerr bare breast and you probably would not feel you have waste 2 hour . but if only there be more . not a lost treasure of frankenheimer and lancaster and kerr career and but an intriguing and minor footnote .