Eyewitness – 1970 | 87 mins | Thriller | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Effective “boy who cried wolf” suspenser scripted by Ronald Harwood from the novel by Mark Hebden. The Maltese locations are unusual and attractive, but the threadbare plot descends into an absurd mixture of car chases, murder and little else. John Hough directs at breakneck pace and employs all manner of distorted camera angles and lensing effects.

Ziggy (Mark Lester), a pranksterish young boy living with his Grandfather (Lionel Jeffries) and sister (Susan George) in a lighthouse on the Mediterranean island of Malta, enlivens a dull existence by inventing war stories. When he is the sole witnesses to an African dignitary’s assassination he is not believed. The police call a curfew but neither Ziggy’s sister nor her boyfriend Tom (Tony Bonner) will believe him so the youngster persuades school friend Ann-Marie to go to the police on his behalf. Unfortunately, Ann-Marie falls into the clutches of two bogus policemen (Peter Vaughn and Peter Bowles) involved in the assassination.