Running Blind

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.

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 first saw this film coming up on WETA, a US PBS station in the mid '80's and couldn't wait as the book had been my absolute favourite from the early '70's. I was not disappointed.

Filmed entirely on location in Iceland, this BBC Scotland production, released January 1979, is a first class action adventure.

Former British agent Alan Stewart is blackmailed by his former boss Slade into delivering a package. It seems a simple messenger boy's job but things soon take a dramatic turn, and Stewart finds himself being chased across the ruggedly beautiful volcanic landscape, pursued by his nemesis, Kennikin (character actor Vladek Sheybal).

Excellent characterisation and performance by versatile and under-rated actor Stuart Wilson (1994 DEATH AND THE MAIDEN, several PRIME SUSPECTS and the 1998 MASK OF ZORRO ) as Alan Stewart, as well as 3 former U.F.O. series cast members (Sewell/Bishop/Sheybal) this is a taut and well told drama. Wilson's hairstyle and '70's tight flares are a bit dated, but Icelandic actress Heida Steindorrsdottir is flawless as Stewart's girlfriend, in what appears to be her only acting role to date.

There is strangely no concession to subtitling for the Russian and Icelandic dialogue nor for the written signs and one revealing newspaper article but these are minimal. The actors also seem to be doing most of their own stunts.

Based on the novel by Desmond Bagley, RUNNING BLIND has proved by far the truest adaptation of many of Bagley's stories. Five have been done - 3 are rubbish and the 4th, MACKINTOSH MAN, is a muddled Hollywood adaptation of THE FREEDOM TRAP which should have been far better than it was, given the likes of Paul Newman/James Mason, and John Huston directing. Filmed earlier (1973) MACKINTOSH MAN is incidentally the effective sequel to the story of Slade from RUNNING BLIND, where Sewell replaces veteran actor Ian Bannen as Slade.

Overall vote: 9 out of 10. This is a great adventure story and should be released on VHS/DVD. Please, BBC ??

I can remember seeing this film back in the late 1970's. It has always stuck in my mind. The film is a little dated now but still in its own right is a very good thriller. A "retired" British agent is brought back into service for one more "simple" mission. Very quickly this simple task becomes more complex and dangerous than planned. It's not long before the Agent is forced to flee across the interior of Iceland in a Land Rover. It has a good story with an incredible setting, Iceland. This film is worth watching for the scenery alone. The fact that it has a good story makes it a classic. Please can it be released on DVD?