Review of The Parallax View (1974) by Ola G — 03 Oct 2008

Joe Frady (Warren Beatty) is a hard digging reporter that will not stop for anything to expose the truth. After the assassination of a U.S. senator, Frady begins to notice that reporters present during the assassination are dying mysteriously. Soon enough he realizes that the assassination was part of a conspiracy somehow, involving the Parallax Corporation that handles some sort of training programmes. He decides to enroll in the Parallax training programme himself to discover what is behind the facade of the Parallax Corporation.

This is a classic 70s conspiracy thriller by Alan J. Pakula in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Warren Beatty is good I reckon and there is this paranoia feeling that lies over the movie like a thick blanket. But, I do think that "The Parallax View" suffers from very strange editing in some scenes and at times a not that well structured flow. Scenes ends abruptly and some scenes seems to have a premature cut. I think it disrupted the balance and yes, the effects where a bit dodgy some times. But, I can buy that when it was made in 1974.

Not Alan J. Pakulas best. I would rank his "Klute" and "All the President's Men" much higher. But, "The Parallax View" has its moments.