Target of an Assassin

A movie with actors mouthing lines, dragging on into eternity. Anthony Quinn is considered one of our greatest stars, but every once in a while there is a clinker and this is one of them. The plot itself could be filled out nicely with some decent writing and a little editing. I always marvel at how in movies (Air Force One is an example), there is such incompetence. After a failed assassination attempt there should be an army standing guard and no one but those with total clearance should be in attendance. Still, a kidnapping can take place. Just the international implications boggle the mind. This isn't some guy, sitting in his living room. The other thing is the datedness of this film. Perhaps it's unfair to use this as a criticism. A great many "topical" films of the sixties and seventies seem to wear very poorly. As one looks back, it seems like a hundred years ago. The dialogue is really the most dated of all. If you watch this, you'll wish you had the two hours back at the end of your life.

Others have noted the poor production qualities of this film. And that it has a very weak script, with directing to match. It is set in South Africa but has inferior cinematography that gives it a feel of Third World production quality – or that of a B-level film in Hollywood. So, how can it rate as high as a 6? Mostly due to the two main characters and the interaction between them. Sailor Slade and President Lunda, played by Anthony Quinn and Simon Sabela, respectively, add some human depth without which the movie would be flat and dull as a paper plate.

While the plot has some obvious holes, it has just enough intrigue to hold our attention, albeit loosely. Some – I suspect younger reviewers, are taken by John Phillip Law and his performance as Shannon. But his role, as the assassin, seems to be a subplot that at best helps keep a certain level of the intrigue. The real drama, both serious and light- hearted at times, plays out between the two protagonists. Both are older, wiser men, who play off each other nicely.

Those roles are not very strong either, but the plot is interesting enough, and Quinn and Sabela lend a little stature to the film by their performances. This could have been a very good movie with a polished script and a reasonable sum of money spent for quality direction, cinematography and editing.

It's hard to imagine Anthony Quinn as an average Joe when he's so often a larger-than-life character, but in Target of an Assassin, he's just your ordinary male nurse. And believe it or not, it works.

Or is he just an ordinary nurse? In the story, John Phillip Law tries to assassinate an African president, Simon Sabela, but when he's unsuccessful, Simon is sent to a hospital to recuperate. Tony is his nurse, but he throws the audience for a loop when he gives Simon a sedative and kidnaps him! Who's the bad guy in this movie? You'll have to watch it to find out.

If you do decide to watch it, it's not very exciting. It's kind of like a bad 1970s action flick, which, let's face it, it is. Tony has a side plot of trying to protect his daughter and take care of his own illness, but it's clearly just a bone they threw him so he can show off his acting chops that are clearly wasted in an action movie. Needless to say, this one wasn't my favorite.

At first glance, this occasionally melodramatic action thriller appears to be a turkey, with amateurish performances, incoherent narrative and a laborious pace. Anthony Quinn plays a widowed and dying male nurse at a South African hospital who kidnaps a visiting African President (Sabela), concealing him in a disused mine, seeking to extort $100K to support his teenage daughter following his death. Complicating matters, a hired assassin (Law) is stalking the president, leading to a tense encounter on a chair lift.

South African stalwarts Marius Weyers and Simon Sabela deliver likable performances, and although both the female actresses (Prinsloo and Du Plessis) in my opinion looked amateurish, the cast generally knits together well (the ubiquitous South African actor Ken Gampu has a key supporting role). John Phillip Law, while second billed, isn't as prominent as Sabela or Weyers but gives an animated performance nonetheless as what must be considered one of the screen's most inept hit men.

The rapport that develops between captor and captive seems quite sincere and believable, both Quinn and Sabela trading some at-times humorous dialogue as they forge a mutually respectful relationship that transcends race and, the obvious constraints of the situation. While the plot holes were regular and gaping, I found the climax to be better than expected; heroism, redemption, tragedy all unfold with cinematic intensity. Not a work of prestige, but if you persist beyond the first hour without reaching for the remote, then you should be rewarded.

Peter Collinson, the guy who directed "The Italian Job" (1969), didn't do an extraordinary job here. I do not know who is more to blame, him or the script, probably the script. The movie is boring, hard to digest. There are passages when the music is really annoying. Anthony Quinn tried his best, but unfortunately, this role was not for him. Sometimes he is even embarrassing. John Phillip Law repeated the same scene endlessly, trying to shoot the black president. I only saw the movie because I really like Anthony Quinn, he is one of my favorite actors ever. But not here. I also liked John Philip Law in "Danger: Diabolik" (1968) and "Strogoff" (1970). Not here. One star for Quinn, one for Law.