The Formula (1980 film)

The Formula is a 1980 mystery film directed by John G. Avildsen. It was produced and written by Steve Shagan, who adapted his own 1979 novel The Formula. It stars Marlon Brando, George C. Scott, Marthe Keller, John Gielgud, G. D. Spradlin, and Beatrice Straight.

The film follows the attempts by different groups who wish to either secure or destroy a synthetic fuel formula invented by the Nazis at the end of World War II which would end reliance on the supply of oil.

Plot
In the final days of World War II, Soviet forces close in on the outskirts of Berlin. Panzer Korps General Helmut Kladen is dispatched to the Swiss frontier with secret documents to be used as a bargaining chip with the Allies to save Germany from the Soviets. He is subsequently intercepted by the U.S. Army and turned over to Army Intelligence.

In contemporary Los Angeles, Lt. Barney Caine is assigned to solve the murder of his former boss and friend Tom Neeley, which presumably occurred during a drug deal gone wrong. However, Neeley has written "Gene" on a newspaper in his own blood, and Caine finds a map of Germany with the name "Obermann" on it. Caine eventually learns that Neeley provided drugs at parties hosted by the tycoon Adam Steiffel. While interviewing Neeley's ex-wife, he catches her in several lies. Returning to interview her a second time, he finds her shot dead in her hot tub.

Steiffel reveals in his interview that Neeley was working for him as a bagman. Neeley was sent overseas by the company to deliver money to business partners. Caine decides he must be in Germany to solve Neeley's murder and convinces his Chief to allow him to go there to continue the investigation. Later, the Chief phones one of Steiffel's cronies to say that Caine has taken the bait.

Caine meets Paul Obermann at the Berlin Zoo. Obermann explains operation "Genesis" - a synthetic fuel formula that the Nazis had produced - could wreck the current oil-economy. Neeley was killed over Genesis. Obermann is then murdered outside the zoo. At his apartment, his niece Lisa shows up to be interviewed by the police. At Obermann's memorial service, Caine asks Lisa to accompany him to act as his interpreter. Lisa agrees and they follow up on a lead that Obermann gave him regarding Professor Siebold who worked on the formula.

During their interview with Siebold, he reveals that the inventor of the formula, Dr. Abraham Esau, is still alive. After they leave his apartment, Siebold is shot in the head through a window. They meet up with Esau, who writes down the formula for Caine after making him promise to make it public. Lisa and Caine make photocopies and send them to the LAPD and a Swiss energy company. Caine also hides two copies from Lisa, depositing them in the hotel's safe. Subsequently, he reveals that he has deduced that she is not Obermann's niece at all, but a spy sent to keep tabs on him. Lisa admits it, but claims she did not sleep with him because of her orders.

At the border with East Berlin, Caine confronts Tadesco who relates how he knew Neeley, and what transpired after his capture by the Americans. As Tadesco walks towards his car, Lisa kills Tadesco, then walks towards East Berlin. At the airport before flying home to Los Angeles, Caine realizes the two copies of the formula in the hotel safe were replaced with fakes by Lisa, and that the only real copies are with the LAPD and the Swiss.

After landing in Los Angeles, he heads straight to Steiffel's office. Steiffel has kidnapped Yosuta, Caine's partner, and is holding him to exchange for the copy of the formula.

After exchanging the formula for Yosuta's release, Caine demands answers from Steiffel. Steiffel then outlines the cartel's plan since the end of the war, to keep the formula secret. They had managed to keep it secret until Swiss businessman, Tauber, began searching for the members of the original Genesis team, hoping to recreate the formula. Tauber's actions made the members of the Genesis team a liability to the cartel, so Steiffel had pulled strings to get Caine sent on a trip to Germany, which would serve as a cover for the cartel's plot to eliminate the remaining members.

Before leaving, Caine reveals that he sent the formula to Tauber. After their meeting, Steiffel calls Tauber, asking him to keep the formula secret for another ten years in exchange for a 25% share of his anthracite holdings. They negotiate, and Tauber agrees to not use the formula for ten years.

Cast

 * Marlon Brando as Adam Steiffel
 * George C. Scott as Lt. Barney Caine
 * Marthe Keller as Lisa Spangler
 * John Gielgud as Dr. Abraham Esau
 * G. D. Spradlin as Arthur Clements
 * Beatrice Straight as Kay Neeley
 * Richard Lynch as Gen. Helmut Kladen/Frank Tedesco
 * John van Dreelen as Hans Lehman
 * Robin Clarke as Maj. Tom Neeley
 * Ike Eisenmann as Tony
 * Marshall Thompson as Geologist #1
 * Dieter Schidor as Assassin
 * Werner Kreindl as Schellenberg
 * Jan Niklas as Gestapo Captain
 * Wolfgang Preiss as Franz Tauber
 * David Byrd as Paul Obermann
 * Ferdy Mayne as Prof. Siebold
 * Alan North as Chief John Nolan
 * Calvin Jung as Sgt. Louis Yosuta
 * Louis Basile as Sgt. Vince Rizzo
 * Gerry Murphy as Herbert Glenn, Clements' Chauffeur
 * Craig T. Nelson as Geologist #2
 * Herb Voland as Geologist #3
 * Stephanie Edwards as Reporter
 * Albert Carrier as Butler
 * Ric Mancini as Printman

Production
The Formula was partly filmed at the Spandau Studios in Berlin, with location shooting in St. Moritz and Hamburg. The remainder of the film was shot at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios in Culver City, California.

Critical response
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 30% rating based on 10 reviews. TV Guide says- "Dull, contrived, and ploddingly directed by John G. Avildsen, this film is a never-ending series of repetitive interviews in which Barney asks questions of a recalcitrant informant. Ultimately, the trail leads back to Brando's corpulent oil magnate. Brando, who appears in only three scenes and walked off with $3 million for his performance, is the only spark of life in the entire film, albeit a highly bizarre one".