Feb 24 2009
“The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” (1974) ****
Preview
Starring: Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw, Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, Earl Hindman, James Broderick, Dick O’Neil, Lee Wallace, Tony Roberts, Doris Roberts, Jerry Stiller, Nathan George, Tom Pedi, Beatrice Winde, Rudy Bond, Kenneth McMillan, and Julius Harris.
Directed by: Joseph Sargent.
Story:
It’s a normal day in New York City for the cynical Lt. Zachary Garber, an NYC Transit Authority Cop, whose daily routine is disturbed when one of the 6 trains (Pelham 123) is hijacked by a group of armed men led by a British mercenary named Bernard Ryder and his partner Harold Longman whom used to be a motorman. The hijackers demand a ransom of one million dollars which must be delivered under an hour or else they will begin executing passengers.
After a frantic drive uptown from the financial district, the squad car delivering the ransom money gets into an accident, resulting in the death of two transit workers by the hijackers. More complications arise as Garber attempts to negotiate with and confront the hijackers and get the hostages safely off the train.
Characters:
*Lt. Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau): The cynical and somewhat grumpy protagonist of the film who works as an NYC Transit Cop.
*Bernard Ryder (Robert Shaw): The lead hijacker.
*Harold Longman (Martin Balsam): The former motorman hijacker who sneezes an awful lot. *Joe Welcome (Hector Elizondo): The third hijacker.
*George Steever (Earl Hindman): The fourth hijacker.
*The Mayor (Lee Wallace): The Mayor of NYC, the man overseeing the entire hijacking situation. *Lt. Rico Patrone (Jerry Stiller): Lt. Garber’s partner in this whole mess.
*Jessie (Doris Roberts): The Mayor’s wife.
Overall:
Welcome to the world of Pre-”Die Hard” style terrorism. Based on the novel of the same name by John Godey, “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” isn’t so much of a “Die Hard” or “Speed” genre of film but is more or less a suspenseful detective thriller with themes of terrorism and appropriate moments of humor. The hijackers almost make it and the film kinda makes you route for them a little but the hijackers themselves seem to have some interpersonal team work issues. On the other foot is Lt. Garber who tends to look at a situation from every possible angle as opposed to everyone else who just looks at what they see (i.e. Garber wonders and is puzzled by how the hijackers plan to escape from the tunnel).
I have not read the book, but this film is a very smart terrorist/detective flick which moves into surprising and unexpected directions as the third act looms around. The final scene is enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. Lt. Garber and the head hijacker Bernard Ryder are brought to life with neat performances by Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three” is an interesting peek into New York City in 1974 and how the terrorism aspect was handled prior to the “Die Hard” explosion.
Rating: ****
