The Ambassador (1984) User Reviews

Give Peace A Chance

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 9 June 2007]

Robert Mitchum plays the title role of The Ambassador and in this case he's the American Ambassador to Israel. He's got the notion in his head that if he can get the Arab and Israeli students dialoging, it might lead the way to eventual peace. Of course there are malevolent forces on all sides that don't want to see that happen.

But that's not Mitchum's only problem. His wife Ellen Burstyn has embarked on a torrid love affair with an Arab, played by Fabio Testi, who turns out to be a big honcho in the Palentine Liberation Organization. And somebody's been taking some nasty home movies of them doing the horizontal mambo. Setting up Mitchum for blackmail and embarrassment whichever comes first.

Playing the supporting role of Mitchum's Embassy security chief is Rock Hudson and this was to be his last feature film. As the film progresses the strain on Hudson's health is becoming apparent.

It was not a happy shoot and the results show it. Mitchum and Hudson did not get along particularly. According to Lee Server's biography, Mitchum spent most of the time getting plastered more than normal. Ellen Burstyn supposedly took a sample of what he was drinking and was shocked to find it real booze. But Mitchum was legendary for holding his liquor.

I can see why Mitchum wasn't particularly happy with the film. His role is essentially that of a well meaning fathead who thinks he has all the answers to the Middle-east. Hudson took his role strictly for the cash, because he was having increased medical expenses from what would kill him a year later.

Being it's a Golan-Globus film the usual quota of violence is present. When you do a film about the Middle-east, that's almost a requirement for a picture. Still the location cinematography in Israel certainly helps.

Too bad that Mitchum and Hudson could not find a nice western to do as a joint project.

Muddled action/political thriller from Cannon Films and director J. Lee Thompson

[AlsExGal · 5/10 · 23 December 2017]

Robert Mitchum stars as the U.S. ambassador to Israel who is trying to broker a peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Hardliners on both sides don't want that to happen, so there are assassination attempts, blackmail threats, car chases and terrorists bombings. All that, and I still found time to yawn.

Co-starring Rock Hudson (in his final film), Ellen Burstyn (who, at 52, has several nude scenes), Donald Pleasence, Italian star Fabio Testi and lots of local Israeli acting talent. Mitchum looks more bored than usual, and he reportedly spent half of the film sloshed. He and Hudson didn't get along, and Hudson was already starting to suffer the failing health that would end his life less than a year later. Some of the action has spark, but most is perfunctory, and there's not much depth to the geopolitical musings. For completists only.

Go watch the documentary on Cannon Films. It is probably as good as or better than anything they ever produced, and it is a hoot.

So-so and very mediocre film with all-star-cast but really wasted , dealing with Middle East conflicts

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 12 December 2021]

This middling movie boasts a star-studded cast , such as : Robert Mitchum , Ellen Burstyn, Rock Hudson , Fabio Testi and Donald Pleasence . This movie's opening prologue states: "The Middle East is a powder keg, ready to explode. A melting pot of conflicting religious and political factions. Israel, with a population of 4 million, is surrounded by 8 Arab countries with a population of 80 million. A group known as the P. L. O. (Palestinian Liberation Organisation) has vowed never to recognize Israel's right to exist and to fight on until a Palestinian homeland is realized. Lately, there are signs that the P. L. O. Is willing to talk peace with the Israelis. A Syrian based splinter group of the P. L. O., the SAIKA, the most extreme of all existing terrorist groups in the area, spreads terror on both the Israelis and the Arabs in order to stop any possibility of peace negotiations. Within Israel there are two major conflicting points of view : The moderates, who are ready to sit at the table with the P. L. O., and the right wing extremists who refuse to accept a Palestinian state in the region. The MOSSAD is the intelligence agency of the state of Israel and protects the official Israeli government position.¨ As an American ambassador (Robert Mitchum) is sent to the Middle East to attempt to solve the area's deep political problems. In Israel he tries to bring peace to the Middle East , but things go wrong , as he quickly becomes the target of terrorist attacks and while extremely criticized by all factions , resulting in being blamed for the nation's unrest . To make matters worse , his wife (Ellen Burstyn) is having a thorny affair with a suspect man (Fabio Testi) . The President ignores him , forcing the ambassador to fend for himself , as his personal existence and his own life are threatened . Meanwhile , his security official (Rock Hudson who was in poor health due to AIDS) saves his life in an assassination attempts and tries to help him resolve the conflicts around them . His career is in jeopardy... His marriage is in ruins... And his life is in danger... HE'S THROUGH NEGOTIATING.

A well intentioned film in which a kindly ambassador attempts to solve a long conflict through unconventional methods , but his efforts are hampered at every turn . Based on Elmore Leonard's 52 Pickup and ramade a year lar under its own title ¨52 Pickup¨1986 by John Frankenheimer with Roy Scheider , Ann-Margret , Vanity , John Glover , in fact , both movies were produced by Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus and The Cannon Group . Interpretations are passable , such as Robert Mitchum who plays in his usual style as a controversial U. S. ambassador to Israel trying to solve the Palestinian question which takes a turn when his wife well played by Ellen Burstyn begins having an affair with a PLO chief finely performed by Italian Fabio Testi . Rock Hudson in his last theatrical movie role plays Mitchum's chief security officer , giving a regular acting as the resourceful agent who along the way helps him . However , supposedly Robert Mitchum and Rock Hudson did not get along with each other .

The motion picture was professional but middlingly directed by J. Lee Thompson , though it has some disappointing scenes , shortcomings , failures , flaws and gaps . He previously had a nice track record in the English cinema from 1950 until 1961 , directing good Western (McKenna's gold , White Buffalo) and all king genres as Sci-Fi (Conquest and Battle of planet of apes), terror (Reincarnation of Peter Proud, Eye of the devil), adventures (Flame over India ,Kings of the sun, Taras Bulba , Tiger Bay) and Warlike ( Guns of Navarone, Von Braun , Chairman , The passage) . His two biggest successes turned out to be ¨Guns of Navarone¨and ¨Cape Fear¨. Thereafter , the filmmaker's career subsided in a morass of slickly realized but ordinary films. He moved into the field of international spectaculars , at which point his filmmaking seemed to lose its individuality . J. Lee Thompson working from the 50s in England, finished his career making Chuck Norris (Firewalker) and Charles Bronson vehicles (Caboblanco, Evil that men do, Messenger of death, Death Wish 4 : Crackdown, Caboblanco, St Ives). Rating : 4.5/10, average , only for Robert Mitchum, Rock Hudson hardcore fans.

Way Too Much is Going On Here

[Michael_Elliott · 27 December 2017]

The Ambassador (1984)

** (out of 4)

Well-meaning but incredibly over-active thriller has Robert Mitchum playing the American ambassador to Israel who is trying to bring peace in the Middle East. While him and his security advisor (Rock Hudson) are getting shot at, his wife (Ellen Burstyn) is banging a man (Fabio Testi) but neither one realizes that some terrorists are video taping their love sessions to blackmail the ambassador. Pretty soon it is revealed that the wife's lover might have terrorist ties himself.

Cannon was known for releasing countless action pictures that were usually rather mindless and just exploited the various subjects that they were covering. Film like DEATH WISH II, MISSING IN ACTION and AMERICAN NINJA were among the studios most popular pictures but THE AMBASSADOR is something completely different. It's clear that Cannon wanted to send a message to the Middle East that peace was possible but unfortuantly for them the movie just went off the rails so to speak. This picture simply tried to do way too much and in the end it's pretty much a complete mess.

The film is really all over the place in regards to what it's trying to do and it almost seems as if no one could agree on what to do with the picture. It starts off with some incredibly wild and over-the-top action scenes and so far so good. Then you've got a rather sleazy sex scene between Burstyn and Testi, which includes the actress doing some nudity. Again, so far it's fun. You then get into an incredibly long political drama about the whole peace idea and then there's some shocking and incredibly bloody violence that pops up at the end. All the while Mitchum and Hudson are trying to uncover this terrorist plot and get the sex tape back before it reaches the media.

I'm going to guess Cannon really wanted a serious drama but there wasn't a way to make money on that alone so additional bits of action were thrown in. Thompson, who was working in mainly "B" pictures at this time, manages to build up some nice action but the drama of the story is downright weak and the "message" of the movie is a bit silly to say the least. The film just never really packs a punch or builds up any sort of tension so the non-stop political talk eventually gets boring and when Mitchum's character isn't worried about the sex tape then why should the viewer be?

The film benefits from its terrific cast and that alone makes it worth sitting through. I think had Mitchum and Hudson switched roles the film might have been better but it was still fun seeing them together. Burstyn in good in her role of the wife and Testi is always dependable. You've also got Donald Pleasence so that's another plus. The film's violent climax features some gory shots that I'm sure shocked most people at the time of the film's release unless they were fans of slashers and were already used to it.

In the end, THE AMBASSADOR has its heart in the right place but it just never fully comes together.

It's distributed by Cannon Films....need I say more?!

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 27 October 2020]

During the 1980s, Cannon Films made a lot of films...sometimes with big-name actors in them. But they all had one thing in common...they weren't exactly subtle! So, if you want explosions, a little sex and violence, they were the go-to studio of the era. As a result, when I saw that they made "The Ambassador" I wasn't thrilled with the prospect of watching the movie. I only watched it because Robert Mitchum and Rock Hudson (in his final theatrical release) somehow were convinced to star in the film.

The story begins with a meeting between the Ambassor (Mitchum) and a group of Palestinians in the desert. He wants to talk peace...but before the meeting gets going, a helicopter attacks...killing everyone but the Ambassador and his bodyguard (Hudson). Who was behind the attack isn't clear.

Soon, the Ambassador receives a phone call. Some unknown person indicates they have film footage of the Ambassador's wife (Ellen Burstyn) having very intimate relations with another man...a Palestinian with connections to the PLO. And, unless they are paid a million dollars, they say they'll publish the film. The Ambassador tells them to go ahead and publish it...he won't pay. But his bodyguard wants to investigate it himself. What follows is an attempt on the Ambassador's life and a lot of other things...such as a massacre and lots of violence.

On the plus side, the film was actually made in Israel...which isn't totally surprising considering the producers (Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus) were Israelis. Also, for a woman in her 50s, Ms. Burstyn has an amazing figure and her nude scenes must have pleased her! Additionally, Rock Hudson's character was pretty cool...sort of like the Terminator! On the negative side, the film's solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflicts and the students' reactions do seem rather simplistic. Also, while the story has some interesting story elements, like a Golan-Globus product, there also are huge bloodbaths which come off as gratuitous and gory. On balance, the bad slightly outweighs the good and the film, which had some nifty ideas, gets the full Cannon Films treatment.

Peace out.

[lost-in-limbo · 7/10 · 7 November 2008]

An always interesting, if audacious and harsh low-key political thriller from Cannon and headed by ace director J. Lee Thompson. Maybe his best work in the 80s. The aged stars are quite a delight and the true staying power with Robert Mitchum (who's playing it easy), Rock Hudson, Ellen Burstyn, Fabio Testi and Donald Pleasance working very well off each other. Indeed a top-notch ensemble cast confidently directed by Thompson.

The knotty context of the film (the on going conflict in the Middle East) is a complicated web (with touch of blackmail and martial problems thrown in for good measure), but smartly engineered if a little too pushy at times. Still it's effective, stirring and informative in detailing its intentions. When it came to the jarring action, it was to the point and within chaotic bursts. I didn't find it thrilling in those passages, but you're kept glued as you want to see what becomes of the suspense beating situations. Dov Seltzer's humidly sultry music arrangement is on the ball and suitably placed. It truly gives it a grander edge and the location choices authentically sprawl off the screen. Thompson keeps it moving and times everything to perfection.

A reasonably solid offering by all involved.

In peace and with open hearts.

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 26 January 2021]

This is a well meaning political thriller about both peaceful and radical PLO fighters dealing with the fight against the Jews to reclaim their land with the aide of American ambassador Robert Mitchum, a quiet and wise man desperately trying to bring these two factions together to start talks. But powers behind the scene definitely don't want that, extremists who will use whatever means to keep the war going. Why you ask? No real reason other than the desire for control through whatever means necessary.

Then there's Mitchum's beautiful wife, Ellen Burstyn, having an affair with Fabio Testi, a handsome and romantic shopkeeper who is a high level official in the PLO. Burstyn has no idea of that, and when a film revealing their affair is shown to Mitchum, he must come to terms with his neglect and ultimately confront Testi whom he needs to speak to the students on both sides to open the door to peace. "Maybe the next generation will make it better", Testi says, a noble gesture of shaking hands with the enemy that unfortunately goes unheeded by terrorists for whom peace is a dirty word.

Costarring in this film (his last) is the still handsome Rock Hudson, then in the last stages of his life due to HIV, still fighting just like his character seems to be doing here as Mitchum's assistant. But there's a mysterious element about him that really is undetermined, and you really never know what side he is on. The ending gives a sign of hope, touching in the fact that it proves Testi's words to be true.

Donald Pleasance and Heli Goldenberg (as a rather ambitious reporter who must reach into her ethics) provide solid support. Not a great film but a well intended one, nicely directed by J. Lee Thompson and beautifully photographed. A very amusing scene with Burstyn has her entering Testi's store and interfering with a sale in a way that really gives a good intro to her character and provides an ironic laugh. It would be interesting to see if the young students of the different cultures were real students and not actors which would add a sense of authenticity to this.

Peace in our Time

[kapelusznik18 · 6/10 · 3 August 2016]

***SPOILERS*** While US Ambassador to Tel Aviv Israel Peter Hacker, Robert Mitchum, while sticking his neck out to bring peace between the Isralies & Palestinians his old lady Alex played by Ellen Burstyn in what seemed to be her first and last nude scene-Thank God-was having a wild affair with Palestine businessman Mustapha Hashimi, Fabio Testi, who's secretly a major mover and shaker of the dreaded PLO-Palestine Liberation Organization-who's stated policy is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. This jeopardized Hacker's standing in the US diplomatic community when a film surfaced of Alex & Mustapha romping nude together in bed and doing it-You know-that was being used to blackmail her husband Ambassador Hacker demanding $1,000,000.00 from the blackmailer to keep it from going public! That's by it being shown on nation wide during half-time at the upcoming Super Bowl football game!

Hacker not willing or unable, he's too cheap and really couldn't care less, to pay the hush money has his friend and security chief Frank Stevenson, Rock Hudson, track down the source of the film and get the original negative for whatever the asking price is and burn it to keep it from seeing the light of day or better yet TV cameras. While this is happening Hacker has far more pressing business to attend to in him bringing peace between the Israelis and Palestinians which he's more then willing to risk his life in doing far more then trying to save his already failing marriage!

***SPOILERS*** It's when Hacker finally gets both the Israelis and Palestinians together to talk things over at an old Roman ruin outside Jerusalem that all hell breaks out. A faction of the PLO organized by KGB operative Stone,Shmulik Kraus, set an ambush for the two warring groups and gunned down more then a 100 of them together with Mustapha Hashimi, who set up the meeting, before the IDF-Israel Defense Force-came on the scene to stop the bloodshed. As for Ambassador Hacker, who survived the carnage, he together with his wife Alex took the first flight back to the USA too cool their heels and try to forget all what they just went through! P.S As for the footage of the wild affair between Alex & Mustapha Stevenson got a hold of it and was ready to give it to Hacker to do with it whatever he wanted to with it who told Stevenson to keep it and entertain himself in watching it!

Sanctimonious

[thejdrage · 3/10 · 22 February 2022]

Sanctimonious movie with lots and lots of shoot 'em ups and things blowing up and fights often for totally unknown reasons. Mitchum being very Mitchum and Burnstyn being topless. It was an awful movie. Too bad it was Rock Hudson's last. That's the sad part.

Maybe if the sections where the students got together weren't so angry and then so sappy.

All in all - a waste of an hour and a half.

Rock Hudson's Last...Mitchum On Autopilot...Tough Topic

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 16 February 2022]

By 1984 Director J. Lee Thompson's Filmography Would Never Include such Great Films Like "Guns of Navarone" (1961), "Cape Fear" (1962). Or the Odd Western and Little Known Hidden-Gem, "White Buffalo" (1977).

He was Retained by the "Canon" Film Company and Pumped-Out Lesser Mid-Budgeted and Unremarkable Fodder.

Here He Teams Up with Robert Mitchum and Rock Hudson in a Disappointing Try at a Very Touchy Plot...Israel and the PLO.

It's Not a Bad Set Set-Up, Shot On-Location with the Story About "The Ambassador" (Mitchum) and His Efforts in Forging Peace-Talks Focusing on College Students of Both Sides.

The Story is Propelled Using the Back-Drop of Mitchum's Wife, Ellen Burstyn, and Her Affair with a Wealthy Arab Businessman. It's Caught on Film and Blackmail Begins.

Also, Caught on Film, is the Dirty-Deed in All its Pornographic Details.

The Movie's Climax is Overdone and Very Bloody and it Distracts from the Seriousness of the Situation with a Long Graphic-Violence Exploitation that Should be in Another Film.

Overall, it's Not Bad, just Nothing Above a Sophomoric Approach to a Very Complex, On-Going World Situation.

Worth a Watch with Low-Expectations.

Disappointing and unrealistic movie

[Two_Journeys · 3/10 · 13 November 2020]

Although this movie has an absolutely tremendous cast of high-class actors, the script is highly illogical and too much US centered. The ambassador doesn't blink an eye as innocent people are slaughtered around the main characters, and is presented as the lone and only man who knows how to correct the terrible situation in the Middle East.

Exciting little action film that was Hudson's last

[Kenneth-8 · 10/10 · 6 February 1999]

A good little action/suspense thriller that was released by the now defunct Cannon group that has the novelty of dealing with the Israeli-Palestanian crisis with real intelligence and being Rock Hudson's last feature film. It stars Robert Mitchum as Peter Hacker, an American ambassador to Israel who tries to bring peace in the Middle East by unorthodox means, but his adulteress wife, played by Ellen Burstyn, threatens to derail his plans when she has an affair with a PLO leader. To make matters worse, someone threatens to expose a film of the affair if a high ransom isn't paid and the ambassador has a hefty price on his head for certain assassins. Rock Hudson plays Frank Stevenson, the ambassador's loyal security officer/friend who tries to unravel the scheme before the film hits the airwaves.

Heading a first rate cast, Robert Mitchum plays the lead role with grace and style as a man who tries to accomplish his goals when everything possible is trying to derail him and Ellen Burstyn plays the wife with right note between guilt and steadfast loyalty for her husband. Rock Hudson, on the other hand, is given little to do. He does what he can with the thankless role as the security officer but basically he's just there to try to talk some sense into the ambassador's head and to carry out orders; it's a little sad ending to a brilliant career. The film itself is well-done and first rate with a higher budget and quality than most Cannon films and the location shoots are first-rate. Check it out if you want a Middle-East political thriller with some action thrown into it for good measure.

still pertinent, in light of the October 2023 attacks

[ksf-2 · 6/10 · 25 February 2024]

Imdb has this as released 1984, while free tubi has this as 1985. Stars rock hudson and robert mitchum, as stevenson and hacker, trying to keep peace in israel and the territories. Hacker is the ambassador to israel. Stevenson is his security. Co-stars donald pleasence as the israeli minister of defense. Ellen burstyn is the ambassador's wife, alex, and her naughty, night-time activities are make her husband's job much harder, when she is filmed. It's okay. Pretty low budget. Produced by golan globus, who have a record of making films on the cheap. Some dropped threads of storyline. Or maybe that was just poor editing. Topless women. And hudson's final film. We spend so much time on trying to get the film back, when hacker has already told everyone he doesn't care if it's shown on national television. Big, grand finale. Very symbolic of the actual situation. Directed by lee thompson.

Typical Golan-Globus garbage

[RoddmannW · 2/10 · 28 July 2014]

Three thoughts cross one's mind whilst watching 'The Ambassador':

What on earth would compel legends like Mitchum, Hudson, and Burstyn to appear in such morally and artistically bankrupt dross?

What on earth would compel one to watch such morally and artistically bankrupt dross?

Can J. Lee Thompson REALLY be the same director responsible for the original Cape Fear?

Of interest only to hardcore fans of the aforementioned actors, and those that are interested in exploring American cinema's shameful history of demonising Arabs.

52 Pick Up kind of, sort of

[BandSAboutMovies · 4/10 · 12 March 2022]

Somehow, Golan and Globus tried to make 52 Pick-Up three times. First time around, they thought Joe Don Baker would be the star - thanks Austin Trunick - then they hired Elmore Leonard to adapt his book. He's not on the final credits of this movie, but said, "Menahem Golan hired me to adapt my novel, 52 Pick-Up, and set it in Tel Aviv. I wrote two drafts and then told him to get another writer. He did and the result was The Ambassador which has nothing to do with 52 Pick-Up. It has none of my characters, none of my situations, nothing. But he still owed me for the screen rights and had to pay up before he could release the picture."

Then, two years later, John Frankenheimer made the actual movie of 52 Pick-Up with Leonard and Cannon.

U. S. Ambassador to Israel Peter Hacker (Robert Mitchum) and head of security Frank Stevenson (Rock Hudson) - yes, the slam bang action stars of a movie released the same year as The Terminator - are trying to get Jewish people and Muslims to get along and make some peace, but people keep getting killed.

Meanwhile, Peter's wife Alex (Ellen Burstyn) is hooking up with Mustapha Hashimi (Fabio Testi, given this movie as a mea culpa from Cannon for getting fired from Bolero), which adds some human drama to the politics. Also, blackmail. Also also Donald Pleasence as Israeli Defense Minister Eretz.

J. Lee Thompson was pretty much making movies just for Cannon throughout the 80s with films like 10 to Midnight, The Evil That Men Do, King Solomon's Mines, Murphy's Law, Firewalker, Death Wish 4: The Crackdown, Messenger of Death and Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects. Al of those are way better than this movie.

As we discussed in the article on That Championship Season, Mitchum had been accused of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial, which is one of the reasons why he made this movie. Telly Savalas was originally going to play Rock Hudson's role, but after a scheduling conflict, Rock flew out just a week after he broke up with his lover Tom Clarke. He was sick throughout filming, which may have been the start of the disease that he died from, but regardless he clashed with Mitchum throughout the production.

The Ambassador

[CinemaSerf · 6/10 · 21 March 2024]

No wonder US foreign policy is always such a mess. It's probably because there is a genuine belief that stuff like this might actually be possible. Their ambassador to Israel arrives determined to sort of decades of political unease with the Palestinians just because, well he's Robert Mitchum! Assisted by his security chief "Stevenson" (Rock Hudson) he finds that his wife (Ellen Burstyn) is soon a pawn in a game he must play - at some risk - if he is to improve anything for anyone. Donald Pleasance shows up now and again as Israeli government man "Eretz" but for the most part this is one of those films where the whole is nowhere near the potential sum of it's parts. Indeed, as we progress it comes across as an over-written, politically simplistic and rather woeful opportunity for some stars nearing the end of their careers to have a nice holiday on the Mediterranean. Conspiring journalists, mass slaughters, helicopter chases - and a bit of illicit sex all creep in, but they can't really enliven this disappointing thriller that's really rather devoid of thrills. Rock Hudson's last full role - and not one I expect he'd be so very proud of.