7.9 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A gang of thugs who have hijacked a subway train near New York's Pelham Station threaten to kill one hostage per minute. Forced to stall the assailants until a ransom is delivered or a rescue made, transit chief Lt. Garber must somehow ad-lib, con and outmaneuver one of the craftiest, cruelest villains ever.
Starring: Walter Matthau, Robert Shaw (I), Martin Balsam, Hector Elizondo, Tony Roberts (I)Drama | 100% |
Heist | 30% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (48kHz, 16-bit)
English SDH
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 5.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
When people discuss the great New York City features of the 1970s, examples tend to gravitate toward classics such as “Taxi Driver” and “The French Connection.” These are movies that weren’t just set in NYC, they used NYC to convey a particular cesspool of crime and indifference -- the city becoming a siren’s song for the mentally damaged and the desperate. A vital addition to the list in 1974’s “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three,” which also weaves urban illness into its filmmaking fabric, though it generally avoids introspection to pursue thriller intentions, bringing John Godey’s successful novel to the screen. It’s a tremendously effective picture, brilliantly cast and executed, with director Joseph Sargent investing in tight storytelling that doesn’t have time to stop and consider its options. It’s a splendidly snowballing effort, using the streets and bowels of the Big Apple to perfection as it details criminal activity and law enforcement confusion. Once it gets going, it doesn’t stop, delivering a rare thrill ride during a production era where grit automatically equaled tight-jawed contemplation.
The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Pelham" offers dark, gritty cinematography that conjures a specific image of New York City as a cold, violent metropolis. The viewing experience largely reflects original intent, keeping to a muted but purposeful color palette, which favors era-specific obsessions with browns and yellows, while cop costumes bring out a slightly more adventurous shade of blue. Locations retain their concrete splendor, and skintones are accurate. Detail pushes pretty far for complex, grainy photography, permitting inspection of subway car decoration and command center equipment. Textures are also acceptable on close-ups, taking a look at the wide assortment of faces that populate the cast. Delineation doesn't run into problems. Source encounters speckling, but no overt damage.
The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix is mercifully kind to scoring achievements, bringing out a fullness to Shire's music that sets the mood without disruption, leading with pleasing heaviness. Dialogue exchanges are sharp and loud, never missing a step as conversations layer at times, making sense of the command center chaos. Sound effects step into shrillness as violence heats up, but gunfire and squealing subways activity is tended to without distortion. Atmospherics are generally in good shape, delivering interesting group activity and streetwise bustle.
Nothing makes one appreciate "Pelham" more than the thought of Tony Scott's ridiculous remake from 2009, which failed to retain any of the wit, suspense, and attitude of the original movie. Scott's no match for the straightforward management of tension from Sargent, who keeps tight control over the feature's extremity, sustaining a low profile as the picture works its way to a pitch-perfect conclusion. "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" may not have the regality of "The Godfather," the magic of "Star Wars," or the intensity of "Jaws," but it's truly one of the finest cinematic offerings from the 1970s, displaying wholly impressive attention to the basics of thriller cinema and the wonders of efficient characterizations.
1974
1974
50th Anniversary Edition
1974
1951
1972
1950
Limited Edition to 3000
1973
Limited Edition to 3000
1967
Gunmen on the Loose
1955
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1955
1959
1936
1955
1951
1990
1950
1972
1971
1961
1950
Limited Edition to 3000
1947
1948
1957