Power Play is a 1978 British-Canadian political thriller film, based on the 1968 non-fiction strategy book Coup d'État: A Practical Handbook by Edward N. Luttwak.
A unnamed European country is under the rule of a brutal and corrupt government, which uses extra-judicial killings and torture to suppress a insurgency against it. Colonel Narriman (David Hemmings), a idealistic army officer that's about to retire, is approached by Dr. Jean Rousseau (Barry Morse) (a professor at the War Academy), who wants Narriman to stage a coup and overthrow the government. Narriman is dismissive until Donna, the daughter of some friends of his, is captured by the Secret Police in a raid against some rebels, tortured and then killed. Now determined to overthrow the government and introduce democracy, Narriman must recruit willing officers, such as Colonel Zeller (Peter O'Toole), Colonel Raymond Kasai (Jon Granik) and Barrientos (George Touliatos) and plan the coup while trying to remain undetected by the Secret Police, lead by Blair (Donald Pleasence).
This film provides examples of the following tropes:
- Electric Torture: Donna is tortured by being given electric shocks.
- Full-Circle Revolution: Colonel Zeller seizes power directly after the government is overthrown. Based on his speech at the end of the movie, his regime will be just as brutal and oppressive as the previous regime.
- He Knows Too Much: Stauffenberg refuses to join the coup and instead tries to inform the government about it. Kasai is forced to kill him (by driving a tank into the tent he's in and running him over) to silence him.
- Leno Device: Kasai goes on The Dick Cavett Show at the beginning of the movie to talk about the revolution.
- May–December Romance: Rousseau is much older than his wife.
- Military Coup: Narriman and his fellow officers tries to overthrow the government.
- Off the Wagon: Barrientos starts drinking again after joining the conspiracy to overthrow the government after remaining sober for several years. This is one of many things that Blair picks up on and makes him believe that the officers are planning something.
- Secret Police: The main antagonists of the movie, lead by Blair.
- Shot at Dawn: The regime uses firing squads to kill rebels and other enemies of the state. The ending has Narriman and Blair being executed by firing squad.
- Where the Hell Is Springfield?: The location of the unnamed European country is never revealed. The names and the appearances of the characters also doesn't give no clue of where the country is located.
