The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

Based on the novel by John Godey, this film follows a kidnapping and extortion attempt on the busy New York subway system.

A lieutenant with the New York Transit Authority Police, Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) thinks today is just going to be another day at work. And for most of the day, it is.

Until word comes to him that one of the trains has stopped moving between two stations, and has been sitting idle for several minutes. Attempts to radio the driver have proved unsuccessful.

Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau).

When all of a sudden, a response comes over the intercom. The train has been hijacked by four heavily-armed men, and the passengers on the one carriage they have taken are being held hostage.

The men, with colour-themed code names, ringleader Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw), former train driver Mr. Green (Martin Balsam), Mr. Grey (Hector Elizondo) and trigger-happy Mr. Brown (Earl Hindman) are demanding the city of New York deliver one million dollars in non-consecutive, unmarked bills within one hour. For every minute the money is late, they will kill one of the hostages.

Now Garber, along with colleague Rico Patrone (Jerry Stiller), and the might of the entire NYPD and Transit Authority, must race against time to keep the madmen placated for long enough to free the hostages and bring the criminals to justice.

Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw).

The screenplay, written by Peter Stone from Godey's novel, masquerades as a thriller but seems to drag more than a train with its brakes left on. The film runs for 104 minutes, but it feels like so much longer. With the exception of one three-minute sequence towards the end, there is little to no movement or suspense. There is plenty of action, but it feels far too slow to be called a thriller, certainly a fast-paced thriller.

David Shire's music, when it is used, is fairly traditional. There is nothing wrong with the score - it works just fine with the action and apparent rising tension - and his instrumentation is quite appropriate throughout.

The cinematography is quite good, however. Owen Roizman has a good understanding of light and dark, and contrasts them well, particularly in the long sequences set on the train carriage. For the majority of the film, the train is stationary in an underground tunnel, with very low light coming in from outside the carriage, and this environment is captured with great skill.

Mr. Grey (Hector Elizondo) surveying the would-be hostages.

The cast performances are a little disappointing. Even seasoned greats like Matthau, Shaw and Stiller seem to merely be delivering the lines for each scene, with very little feeling or emotion behind them. There is little to no sense of dread conveyed by any of the cast, other than periodic screams from the subway passengers, which feels a little forced.

Director Joseph Sargent seems to have bitten off a lot more than he can chew with this film, which doesn't seem to capture the tension or suspense of the novel. (Note: The film was remade in 2009, starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta. This remake - which I will be reviewing in due course - seems to do a much better job of keeping the suspense throughout, and actually keeping the audience interested). This film is in my collection - for the simple reason it is the original from which the remake was born - but I don't think I will be watching it again any time soon.

3 1/2 out of 10.