In an interview made for the French DVD release in 2014, director Jerry Schatzberg explains that Anne François, the films producer, suggested that he should read Fred Uhlman's novel for a possible collaboration. He really liked the book and its "story of friendship in the beginning of the Nazi period". Schatzberg decided to hire a mostly British cast and a British screen writer to make the movie "feel more European". He came up with two names for a writer but they weren't available. A friend of the producer personally sent the book to Harold Pinter, who soon replied that he "loves the story". Schatzberg was reluctant to use Pinter at first, he couldn't envision Pinter's name on the script, and he was slightly intimidated by him. But after the two had a long conversation, Schatzberg was convinced that Pinter was the only person for the job.
Schatzberg had a very difficult time finding an American actor to play the leading character. He met with casting director Juliet Taylor, who he was very friendly with, and told her about his difficulties. Taylor asked him to tell her about the part. She immediately came up with Jason Robards. Schatzberg contacted Robards and he loved the idea.
Schatzberg was very upset with the first cut of the movie, describing it as "terrible". It didn't look like "anything". But he knew he had enough raw footage, and in the end the movie was "rewritten in the editing room".
Schatzberg claims the ending of the film is so devastating that audiences didn't know how to react. They were too affected. Writer Harold Pinter originally had a different idea about the ending of the film. According to Schatzberg "Pinter had an ending that seemed like a new beginning or a continuation, he wanted to show the trial at the end." Schatzberg thought his idea was the right one and also closer to the original book. He told Pinter he should write both versions and Schatzberg would film both. When Schatzberg put the film together he used his ending first. And when he nervously invited Pinter to a screening of that version, he loved it.