Review of The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) by Graham M — 05 Nov 2014

"We are going to kill one passenger a minute until New York City pays us $1 Million.".

"The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" is a perfect example of a tension filled, wonderfully constructed, and extremely entertaining thriller. It's a testament to "Pelham" that it has been remade twice--once as a made-for-TV movie, and the other as a big-budget action picture. However, the decision to produce these remakes hasn't yielded satisfying results. Peter Stone earned an Oscar nomination in 1974 for his screenplay, which is adapted from John Godey's 1973 novel. You can count among its biggest admirers Quentin Tarantino, who borrowed the color-coded nicknames of the villains in the film for his band of thieves in "Reservoir Dogs.".

Four armed men hijack a New York City subway train and demand $1 million dollars which must be delivered in 1 hour for the release of the passengers held hostage. Lt. Zachary Garber (Walter Matthau) of the New York City Transit Police must contend with City Hall, the demands of the hijackers, and the ticking clock in his efforts to save the passengers and bring the hijackers to justice. The initial hijacking plan doesn't seem to make any sense because their options are so limited. At one point Lt. Garber jokingly says: "They're gonna get away by asking every man, woman and child in New York City to close their eyes and count to a hundred." But there is a clever getaway plan coordinated by Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw), who plays a former mercenary soldier. His team members include two professional criminals and a fired motorman (Martin Balsam) with a grudge.

The main strength of the film is the acting. Shaw, Balsam, and Elizondo each get to play to their own specific skill set. Shaw is cool, devious, and calculating. Balsam is a working class, somewhat decent, criminal. On the other side of things, Matthau is at his sardonic best as Garber. Little time is spent on the back story, subplots, or exploration of motives. It's about a subway train, the bad guys, the good guys, hostages, and money. That's it. comparing the original to the 2009 Tony Scott-directed remake, where substantial screen time is devoted to such concerns, the movie falls well short. Do yourself a favor: instead of watching the remake, seek out the original. It's an urban thriller with charisma and a vitality all of its own.