The Swiss Conspiracy

The legendary director Jack Arnold's last long-feature film is a raw and twisted blackmail thriller set in the beautifully picturesque country of Switzerland. In fact, the opening and closing credits, and many scenic sequences throughout the entire movie, almost make it look as if "The Swiss Conspiracy" is a tourist brochure in motion, as well as a typically 70s Euro-exploitation thriller! "Come to Switzerland! We have a lot more to offer than cuckoo clocks, cheese, expensive wristwatches and dubious bank affairs!" Well, actually, the plot of the film does principally revolve on the infamous Swiss banking structure. David Christopher, a former US government agent now retired and living in Zurich, is recruited as private security officer for a large and prominent Swiss bank. The bank itself, as well as five of its most respectable clients, are blackmailed into paying millions of Swiss Francs, otherwise their secret accounts full of fraudulent transactions will be publicly exposed. Christopher finds that everyone is a suspect, including the bank's Vice President and most of the blackmail victims, since they are borderline criminal and utterly corrupt themselves.

I often encounter the criticism that the plot of "The Swiss Conspiracy" is overly convoluted and almost incomprehensible. Don't be put off, because it's honestly not that difficult to follow! Like any good whodunit thriller, there are red herrings and plot twists, one more predictable and transparent than the other, and the experienced Jack Arnold keeps the pacing steady and the action continuous. The #1 reason for me to watch this film was the awesome ensemble cast! Personally, I never could stand David Janssen, but the supportive cast is downright phenomenal. The cast is a mixture of terrific American cult actors (Ray Milland, John Saxon, John Ireland, David Hess...) and Euro-exploitation regulars (Anton Diffring, Elke Sommer, Senta Berger,...). It's quite violent, with a few brutal and nihilistic executions, but also very entertaining and featuring scenic imagery from one of the most beautiful countries in Europe!

Jack Arnold directed this independently produced thriller set in Switzerland at the Swiss Alps, as five wealthy clients of a Swiss bank find themselves being blackmailed that their account numbers and contents will be made public unless a ransom is paid, so their bank hires former U. S. Justice official David Christopher (played by David Janssen) to investigate the increasingly convoluted mystery where romance and assassins complicate things. Costarring Ray Milland, John Saxon, John Ireland, and Senta Berger.

Though filled with gorgeous and authentic scenery filmed in and around Zurich, unevenly paced film proves to be a medium mystery that never really amounts to much.

David Janssen is an ex-U.S. treasury agent who finds himself involved in "The Swiss Conspiracy," a 1976 film that boasts a large array of old stars and actors: John Ireland, Ray Milland, Elke Sommer, John Saxon and Curt Lowens, plus the beautiful Senta Berger and a European cast. Janssen is David Christopher, who is asked to help a Swiss bank whose clients are being blackmailed with exposure of their numbered accounts. The stakes get higher when two of the victims are killed.

Words fail me but I'll go on anyway. First of all, this movie looks like it was transferred to DVD illegally - it even skips at one point with Janssen mouthing non-existent dialogue. The quality of the film is very grainy, and it looks like the movie was cut, too.

The film was made 5 years before David Janssen died, and he looks like he's going to succumb either during the film or the day after it wraps. If there was ever a tired, worn out actor, he's it. Ray Milland also looks to be at death's door. Did Bela Lugosi's makeup man do the makeup for this, or did they just go straight to a mortician? John Saxon turns in one of the worst performances I've ever seen, and that's saying something - I've seen Sonny Tufts in movies. An embarrassment of a New York accent to go with an awful performance.

The story isn't bad but by the time the movie is over, you're past caring. The scenery is gorgeous, however. There is one hilarious moment. One of the characters falls off of a huge cliff. Well, obviously, they used a dummy. When it hit the ground it bounced into the air - WAY into the air before landing someplace else. What I like best is that they left it in the movie. It made it almost worth watching.

Possibly this was made for television though for what country, I don't know. Maybe they dubbed it and it was shown in Europe. It really looks made on the cheap and like these actors worked for lunch and a cot.

THE SWISS CONSPIRACY was advertised as "the ultimate blackmail thriller", and while it's too far from reaching top-notch status, it is a stylish piece of 70s intrigue from across the Atlantic. A B-movie running on overdrive is what you may hardly ever believe, but there is some attention worth grabbing on the action parts that flow at a solid pace, and can provide a few nifty surprises. Just try not to expect plenty of spectacular stunts from a flick like this, although the exotic sports cars are worth a look. If there are certain B-movie stars you can recognize, look for John Saxon in a convincing, but unfortunately brief role of a crook, plus international film starlets Senta Berger and Elke Sommer. And don't forget our major eye David Janssen, who's trying to get things straight with lovely Berger on his wing. A pretty good minor crime classic that delivers a slightly different beat of an ending.

Good cast delivers in this interesting blackmail plot involving Swiss bank accounts. Started somewhat slow but built nicely into a satisfying conclusion. Anton Diffring always adds a nice sinister element to a movie. Ray Milland is perfectly cast as the bank president. Janssen seemed to have a hard time getting into the proceedings but got better as the movie progressed. The other characters were reasonably well developed which gave the movie more depth. Great location shooting, vintage Ferraris, and Senta and Elke were definite pluses. Overall an enjoyable viewing especially if you enjoy Euro-based thrillers.