The Offence

The Offence is a 1973 British neo-noir crime drama film directed by Sidney Lumet starring Sean Connery, Trevor Howard, Vivien Merchant, and Ian Bannen. Connery plays a veteran police detective who suffers a psychological breakdown and kills a suspect during an interrogation. The screenplay was written by John Hopkins, who adapted his 1968 stage play This Story of Yours. Released by United Artists on January 11, 1973, the film received positive reviews from critics, who praised Connery and Bannen's performances. Bannen was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his role. The Offence was the third of five collaborations between Lumet and Connery, and one of five films Lumet produced in the United Kingdom during the 1960s and '70s.