Running Blind

I had already read and enjoyed Desmond Bagley's thriller when this was screened and I feared a TV mini-series would not be able to do it justice. I was very pleasantly surprised: it was an excellent series, beautifully filmed in some of the most breathtaking scenery on earth and the thrill-quotient was admirably fulfilled. I therefore find it mystifying why it has apparently sunk without trace since its original BBC transmission - I have not even been aware of satellite and cable re-runs. Surely if it still exists it deserves dusting down and releasing on DVD? It was vastly superior to a lot of stuff that is currently commercially available!

I downloaded this from YouTube and the quality is not the best.

It runs at 2 hours, but was originally screened in 3 episodes and there are some references made to events that I think have been edited out for some reason.

Anyway, for the time (1979) it is good.

I can recall at the time it was groundbreaking for the location filming in Iceland and there is a lot of scenery, although to be honest it is pretty barren and stark.

The lead character is not particularly likeable, which is probably how he was meant to be portrayed. He was not in a very likeable line of work.

It is a good fast paced adventure with not much in the way of irrelevant sub-plots.

Adapted from the book by Desmond Bagley.

"Running Blind" is a wonderful movie. Its plot has several twists and turns, and the cast are more than good. I especially like the Icelandic female lead.

It concerns a retired British agent recalled to service for a delivery, and how, accompanied by his Icelandic girlfriend, he works at evading enemy pursuit.

This film's Icelandic location made it doubly interesting. Iceland is a beautiful country, but its landscape is very different from any other place I have seen, either in person or on film.

I hope that this film will be released in either VHS or DVD in the NTSC format, so that we in the United States can enjoy it once again.

This is one of the best examples of Cold War dramas. At the very least, it's got Vladek Sheybal, who is (should be) adored by all who are in their mid 40's. It was a cracking story, identical to the book (always a bonus) and has Stuart Wilson, who is gorgeous! Unusually for such a drama, it has a real human story at its heart, and it is wholly believable.

The story cracks along at a brilliant pace. Its setting is unusual, to say the least. I cannot remember another drama set in Iceland.

For those people who are my age, we grew up with Cold War dramas, even if it's just Harry Palmer.

I would love to have this on DVD. It's up there with any John Le Carre.

I saw this only very recently again, after more than forty years since it was screened in the UK by the BBC. It is based on the eponymous Desmond Bagley thriller and features Stuart Wilson as "Alan Stewart", co-opted (reluctantly) by former boss "Slade" (George Sewell) to carry out the simple delivery of a package to a character in Iceland. Yeah, right - well that was what was supposed to happen, but before long he is on the run from former Bond villain Vladek Sheybal ("Kennikin"). Originally spread over three episodes, "Stewart" must keep ahead of his pursuing nemesis, discover just what "Slade" is up to, and - of course - keep himself and the young "Elin" (Ragnheiõur Steindórsdóttir) from being captured and maybe worse. The pacing is good, the sense of peril and the suspense build well across the episodes and pretty much right until the end we are unsure of just what exactly is going on... The BBC made some wonderful dramas in the 1970s; many to much broader acclaim than this one - but this, though certainly dated, very much emphasises a quality of production and acting that still makes for an intriguing thriller to watch. The volcanic scenery lends greatly to the look of the film, too.