Catch-52
Joined Sep 1999
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Reviews17
Catch-52's rating
Lancaster, Delon, and Scofield are amazing in this complex, character-driven spy thriller. For some reason, Winner's direction has come in for a lot of criticism, but I thought it was superb (at least here; haven't seen any of his other works). The big action sequence is beautifully shot, edited, and staged -- I liked it far better than "The French Connection"; indeed, "Black Sunday" is the only '70s thriller I've seen with better action. It's just so realistic!
The biggest flaw I can see is that the major action sequence is so exciting that all the stuff that comes after it can seem a bit dull and overextended by comparison. Still, it's good, thought-provoking material with a cynical Le Carre edge. Without spoiling the end, let's just say that whether or not you think it "works", it certainly has an emotional impact.
The supporting cast (Joanne Linville, John Colicos, J.D. Cannon, Frederick Jaeger, Shmuel Rodensky, et al.) is quite good, and the script (co-written by famed TV producer David Rintels) is filled with quotable dialogue and subtle bits that illuminate the characters, as well as clever pieces of "spy business" that feel authentic (whether or not they are).
Bottom line: One of the best films of its kind.
The biggest flaw I can see is that the major action sequence is so exciting that all the stuff that comes after it can seem a bit dull and overextended by comparison. Still, it's good, thought-provoking material with a cynical Le Carre edge. Without spoiling the end, let's just say that whether or not you think it "works", it certainly has an emotional impact.
The supporting cast (Joanne Linville, John Colicos, J.D. Cannon, Frederick Jaeger, Shmuel Rodensky, et al.) is quite good, and the script (co-written by famed TV producer David Rintels) is filled with quotable dialogue and subtle bits that illuminate the characters, as well as clever pieces of "spy business" that feel authentic (whether or not they are).
Bottom line: One of the best films of its kind.
A very young Jenny Agutter is featured in this BBC serial; she would play the same role in the film version of Edith Nesbit's classic children's novel two years later. The IMDb lists it as a TV series, but it is actually closer to a miniseries, with a continuing story arc and well-defined beginning and end. It's in black-and-white, and the picture quality is poor; also, it was obviously filmed live, and some of the line readings are a bit awkward. None of this really matters, though, since the performances are so warm and the story is so good. The Faraday children (the IMDb gives the family name as "Waterbury," but that is a mistake) go off to live with their mother in the country after their father is unjustly imprisoned; they have a series of adventures, and all ends happily. I enjoyed this thoroughly even though I'm a cynical college student - I'm sure kids will absolutely love it. Considering that the novel was written in 1906, and this series dates from 1968, it's aged remarkably well. I haven't seen the 1970 version (or the 1957 or 2000), so I can't compare, but this version set the bar pretty high.
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