The Amateur

The Amateur

Year: 1981

Runtime: 112 mins

Language: English

Director: Charles Jarrott

ActionThrillerCrime

In a world dominated by professional assassins, an amateur has no place. A CIA researcher persuades his superiors to authorize a covert mission behind the Iron Curtain, seeking vengeance for his wife's murder by hostile agents. Once there, he uncovers a tangled web of deception that lies beneath the circumstances of her death.

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Timeline & Setting – The Amateur (1981)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Amateur (1981). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

CIA Decryption and Analysis division, The Farm (Camp Peary), Paris, Marseille, Madrid, Istanbul, Primorsk, Baltic Sea, Gulf of Finland

The narrative moves from clandestine CIA facilities to a globe-spanning chase across Europe. Key locations include the secretive CIA hub at The Farm, plus cities like Paris, Marseille, Madrid, and Istanbul, as Charlie hunts the four leads. The pursuit travels to Primorsk on the Baltic Sea and concludes near the Baltic approaches and Gulf of Finland, tying the conflict to a ship-based operation and international law enforcement.

🌍 International locations 🏛️ Espionage settings 🚢 Global pursuit

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:58

Main Characters – The Amateur (1981)

Meet the key characters of The Amateur (1981), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Charles Heller (John Savage)

A CIA cryptographer who shifts from analytical caution to a driven avenger after his wife Sarah is killed. He trains in bomb-making, pushes past institutional limits, and uses hacking to chase the four assailants. His grief fuels a dangerous, single-minded quest for justice beyond normal protocol.

🧠 CIA analyst 🗡️ Avenger 💔 Grieving widower

Gretchen Frank (Chapelle Jaffe)

Former Armenian intelligence officer who becomes a central target in Charlie's pursuit. Trapped at an allergy clinic, she escapes but is fatally struck by a van while fleeing.

⚠️ Target 🧪 Alliance with danger 💔 Innocence lost

Mishka Blazhic

Belarusian criminal and one of the prime suspects in Sarah's death. He resists cooperation during the Madrid confrontation and meets a deadly end in a rooftop confrontation.

🧭 Suspect 🗝️ Network linchpin 💀 Fatal confrontation

Ellish

South African ex-special forces operative whose information helps locate Schiller. He is killed in the explosion triggered by Charlie.

🕊️ Informant 🧨 Explosion victim 🧭 Targeted operator

Horst Schiller

Elusive mastermind behind the network orchestrating the attacks. He operates from a ship on the Baltic Sea and is ultimately captured by Finnish police and Interpol after Charlie's final confrontation.

🤯 Mastermind 🛳️ Baltic operation 🕵️‍♂️ Pursued target

Davies (Inquiline)

Russian widow posing as a key information source for Charlie. Davies is killed by a Russian FSB strike team as the pursuit closes in.

🎭 Hidden ally 🗡️ Betrayal 💀 Removed ally

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:58

Major Themes – The Amateur (1981)

Explore the central themes of The Amateur (1981), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⚔️ Vengeance

Grief over Sarah's death drives Charlie to bypass cautious FBI-style procedures and seek personal revenge. The film examines how a single, consumed pursuit can redefine a life and blur ethical lines in pursuit of justice.

🕵️ Conspiracy

Charlie uncovers a concealed network within the agency, revealing how orders and hidden agendas can manipulate events. The plot pits truth against institutional cover-ups, forcing characters to decide where loyalty lies.

⚖️ Ethics

The story probes the moral costs of vigilantism and sanctioned wrongdoing. As Charlie pushes against official channels, the film questions whether ends justify means when innocent lives hang in the balance.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:58

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The Amateur Summary

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The Amateur Summary

The Amateur Timeline

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The Amateur Timeline

More About The Amateur

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