MGM / United Artists
Amazon Prime Videohas slowly been build a huge catalog ofOscar - acquire classicsin add-on to such original menu asReacher . FromStanley Kubrickto Robert Altman , the banner is a celluloid lover ’s dream , and a surprisingly proficient way to watch Hollywood classics . But there ’s one motion-picture show currently well out that has n’t gotten the aid it merit , and is deserving checking out for anyone craving a solid two hour of amusement .
Joseph Sargent ’s underrated 1974 movieThe Taking of Pelham One Two Three(also known asThe Taking of Pelham 123)isn’t that well known beyond hardcore film fans , and that ’s a fault that needs correct in 2024 . A heist film with an extremely unique placement , Pelham 123is aNew York City - limit movie classicthat is both of its time and timeless . It ’s a thriller with a tight narrative , created with a acquirement and grit mostly missing in today ’s action movies , and is just as tense and effective now as it was 50 years ago .
MGM/United Artists
It defined the classic heist movie blueprint
Far from the first of its kind , The Taking of Pelham 123set in stone what is now pick out as the blueprint for almost allmodern heist movies . We are introduced to our antagonists too soon : a radical of meticulous robbers who commandeer a New York City subway machine and take all passengers hostage . They keep their communicating with the authorities brief but direct and scarcely deviate from the plan of enquire for $ 1 million . All while under the cover of the radio within the cab and the sprawling tunnel under the Big Apple .
On the other side of the conversation are the transit self-confidence member working to get the rider home safely and the culprits in handcuffs . The flick ’s elementary supporter is Lt . Garber , play by Walter Matthau ( The Bad News Bears ) . He serve as the viewer ’s conduit to the situation . He is the chief link for the criminals and serve shepherd the looker ’s questions / concerns into touchable actions .
The celluloid espouse a rip story that , while simple-minded , is incredibly in force . John Singer Sargent cut between Garber trying to save the passengers and the passengers themselves , who are frightened and confused because they miss the info Garber , and therefore the audience , slowly but methodically attains . It ’s why the movie accumulates so much tension as it progresses ; the more Garber know , the closer he gets to free the passengers .
Colorful characters that are hard to forget
“ Colorful ” is a perfect adjective for these reference , not only personality - wise but also in a literal mother wit . The “ robbers ” themselves are never given names and are only labeled under “ Mr. ” followed by a color . ( Sound familiar ? ) Mr. Blue , Mr. Brown , Mr. Green , and Mr. Grey are all as distinct as their name , each having a key theatrical role , such as leader , mechanically skillful expert , and wild card . Their names add a layer of mystique to the men , making them feel less like hoi polloi we can relate to and more like emotionless blank slating who only desire one affair : money .
Meanwhile , at the station , Lt . Garber and his crew deed as funny relief to help assuage the latent hostility and terror the audience see in the Pelham - ricochet tube machine . Garber has a sharp wit to equate the man across the phone but some uproarious missteps prior to the heist help bray him as the central Cuban sandwich the audience can connect to . His comrades act as hecklers to the performance in front of them , expressing their frustrated position in adequate amounts of comedic wisecrack to both Garber and the criminal work party .
In addition , we meet a perpetually ominous NYC mayor with nothing but the election on his mind , a patrol ship’s officer who is a little too faithful to the activity , and the entrapped subway car passengers who range from a mother with tiddler to a panderer hoping to make a reprehensible connection . Jan de Bont’sSpeedborrowed fromPelham‘s playbook by using its kidnapped passengers as an in force mirror the city their movies were located in . Any New Yorker , then and now , can look atPelham‘s subway system passengers and see the diverse and eclectic makeup of their metropolis staring back at them .
A lasting legacy
WhileThe Taking of Pelham 123is an adaptation of a book by John Godey , that has not stopped the film from spawning a legacy of its own . principally , this can be seen in the movieReservoir Dogsby Quentin Tarantinowhere most of the heist crew ’s names are all colors with “ Mr. ” in front . Tarantino has never like a shot acknowledge to find inspiration from the film but have his praise for classic from this era , using a similar designation technique for his heist pic ismore than a coincidence .
The flick also spawned multiple remaking , but the most famous one was the 2009 adaption byTony Scottstarring John Travolta andDenzel Washington . While not nearly as stiff , it is a testament to how directors , actors , and studio apartment see the moving picture to this day that Scott largely left the concept and execution intact . It even affect the real NYC subwayby in the beginning banningbut now actively prefer to have no caravan leave from Pelham Bay at 1:23 a.m. or p.m. due to the fear of it being pile by fans of the movie looking to replicate the experience .
The Taking of Pelham 123is an crucial moving-picture show , more so than probably the creators specify , because of its hold up legacy on Hollywood studio apartment filmmaking . The plastic film is crackerjack amusement , offering thrills , gag , and a final pellet that can only be described as staring . But more significantly , it influenced decades of more democratic action movies , and it deserves some passion and tending as it turns 50 this year .
The Taking of Pelham 123is pullulate onAmazon Primenow .
