The main reason for watching this thriller on the Fox cable channel was the cast. Not having a clue as to whether this movie was ever distributed in this country, but the allure of actors like Sean Connery and Ian McShane in its cast, proved to be the deciding factor for watching this 1975 British production directed by Finnish director Caspar Wrede. The film had the title "The Terrorists", in the version we watched.
After a series of bombs are detonated in London, we are taken to Oslo, where a group of terrorists have kidnapped the British ambassador to that country. The masked individuals demands are passed to the local security forces. Nils Tahlvik, the negotiator wants to put his own plan of action in place. There is a conflict with a British agent who wants to give in to the kidnappers' demands, something that Tahlvik doesn't want to do.
In the meantime, a commercial airliner, about to land at Oslo's old Fornebu airport is taken over by a group of hijackers. The captain takes a chance by making the tires of the plane blow up as they land. All attempts to surprise the kidnappers on board fail. As preparations begin to bring the ambassador and the men holding him to the aircraft, that by now has been fixed for an unknown flight, the police tries, unsuccessfully to send security forces masquerading as the criminals, but everything fails until the end when Tahlvik himself boards the aircraft and a surprise, that has been kept from us, is revealed.
The screen play by Paul Wheeler is confusing, at best. We don't have a clear picture of what is really going on, that is complicated by the ending in which that surprise comes out of nowhere regarding one of the hijackers and the duplicity of someone in the negotiating team.
Sean Connery is not at his best in the film. We get to see Mr. Connery as he looked at that time before any cosmetic enhancements, especially his teeth, which went through quite a change after this film was done. Ian McShane makes an interesting appearance as the evil Ray Petrie, who is in charge of the hijacking team on board the plane. Isabel Dean, has a good moment as the British ambassador's wife pleading with Tahlvik.
While the film is by no means horrible, it could have been probably better with another film treatment and a action director. The best thing in the movie is Sven Nykvist cinematography, which unfortunately doesn't quite show in its splendor because of the faded quality of the copy that was shown.
After a series of bombs are detonated in London, we are taken to Oslo, where a group of terrorists have kidnapped the British ambassador to that country. The masked individuals demands are passed to the local security forces. Nils Tahlvik, the negotiator wants to put his own plan of action in place. There is a conflict with a British agent who wants to give in to the kidnappers' demands, something that Tahlvik doesn't want to do.
In the meantime, a commercial airliner, about to land at Oslo's old Fornebu airport is taken over by a group of hijackers. The captain takes a chance by making the tires of the plane blow up as they land. All attempts to surprise the kidnappers on board fail. As preparations begin to bring the ambassador and the men holding him to the aircraft, that by now has been fixed for an unknown flight, the police tries, unsuccessfully to send security forces masquerading as the criminals, but everything fails until the end when Tahlvik himself boards the aircraft and a surprise, that has been kept from us, is revealed.
The screen play by Paul Wheeler is confusing, at best. We don't have a clear picture of what is really going on, that is complicated by the ending in which that surprise comes out of nowhere regarding one of the hijackers and the duplicity of someone in the negotiating team.
Sean Connery is not at his best in the film. We get to see Mr. Connery as he looked at that time before any cosmetic enhancements, especially his teeth, which went through quite a change after this film was done. Ian McShane makes an interesting appearance as the evil Ray Petrie, who is in charge of the hijacking team on board the plane. Isabel Dean, has a good moment as the British ambassador's wife pleading with Tahlvik.
While the film is by no means horrible, it could have been probably better with another film treatment and a action director. The best thing in the movie is Sven Nykvist cinematography, which unfortunately doesn't quite show in its splendor because of the faded quality of the copy that was shown.