JOURNEY INTO FEAR
US, 1975, 100 minutes, Colour.
Sam Waterston, Zero Mostel, Yvette Mimieux, Vincent Price, Scott Marlowe, Ian Mc Shane, Stanley Holloway, Shelley Winters, Joseph Wiseman, Donald Pleasence.
Directed by Daniel Mann.
Journey Into Fear is a remake of the 1943 thriller with Orson Welles, directed by Daniel Mann, based on a novel by Eric Ambler. This remake is updated to the '70s and uses exotic Greek and Italian settings.
The film has a very, good cast, a number of stars in guest roles including Vincent Price as a persuasive villain, an unlikely Stanley Holloway and Shelley Winters as a couple, Ian Mc Shane as an assassin, Yvette Mimieux as a singer, Zero Mostel as a Turkish officer, Joseph Wiseman as a policeman and Donald Pleasence as a Turkish agent.
The film is not always plausible in its plot, but has the atmosphere of nightmare and suspense. Daniel Mann directed Come Back Little Sheba, Rose Tattoo, Ada and many other films.
1. Entertaining espionage thriller? Eric Ambler's work? Updating to the 1970s?
2. The use of Turkish locations, Athens, Genoa? The ship and the sea? Chases, massacres at airports, action in Athens and Genoa? Musical score? Song?
3. The title and the experience of Graham? His journey into fear?
4. The portrait of Graham: ordinary citizen, engineer and geologist, in Turkey? The initial mountainside sequence and his being saved, the assassination on the train, his being shot at in his room? The Turkish contact and his unctuous concern, taking him to the nightclub, Josette? the assassin? Colonel and the interrogations? The manoeuvre at the airport and his being saved? Going on with the romance, her plausibility? Jose and his later demanding money? The encounter with the Turkish tobacco agent - and the irony that he was the agent in Athens, losing him, the discussions on board the ship, his death? At table with the archaeologist - and the irony? the assassin? The confrontation? The assassin on board? Getting the husband to take the note to the official in Genoa? growing sense of menace, on the boat, the attack in Athens and the chase, the steward not believing him, his
having to get off the boat? the explosion, the chase in Genoa, confrontation with the assassin, using the flare to kill him?
5. The gallery of villains: Ian Mc Shane as the assassin and the chase in Genoa? Vincent Price and his cover, the menacing confrontation, the plan, in the car, the final shoot-out?
6. Donald Pleasance as the agent, his cover, his support of Graham? His death?
7. Josette and her song, the relationship with Graham? Jose and his intervention?
8. The married couple, comedy, allusions to Israli- Arab tensions? The Turkish Consul?
9. Colonel Haki and the control of the situation in Turkey? Zero Mostel effusive as the liaison, his overbearing attitude, concern, relations in every port?
10. Suspense thriller of the '70s, the coincidences of the plot, suspense while on screen?
