NORTH SEA HIJACK

UK, 1979, 99 minutes, Colour.
Roger Moore, Jams Mason, Anthony Perkins, Michael Parks, David Hedison, Jack Watson, George Baker, Jeremy Clyde, David Wood, Faith Brook, Lea Brodie.
Directed by Andrew V. Mc Laglen.

Though a commander of a crack underwater commando squad, Roger Moore is cast against image as an eyebrow-raising, lip-curling male chauvinist anti-feminist (and acting enjoyably even if it isn't clicking quite as it might) and taking a current terrorist situation - the hijacking of oil rigs in the North Sea. Anthony Perkins, neurotic as ever, is chief hijacker. James Mason represents the Admiralty and the British P.M. (who happens to be a woman!).

The screenplay doesn't waste time, keeps a good pace and has some cliffhangers, it works well and is given frequent satirical lacing on male-female roles and some tongue-in-cheek macho lines. Successful topical escapist adventure. Directed by Andrew V. Mc Laglen, a specialist in westerns, especially with John Wayne and James Stewart in the '60s and '70s. His film prior to this one was the spectacular adventure The Wild Geese.

1. Satisfying and enjoyable adventure, escapism? Topical themes?

2. The film's screenplay and speedy inviting audiences into the action, the suspense? The comic touches? The technical and special effects? The jaunty score?

3. The relationship of this kind of perennial adventure to topical reality? Hijacking and terrorism, oil exploration, the oil rigs and the workers living over the sea? Ransom and extortion? Danger? The availability of explosives? Political implications? Commando raids and their daring?

4. Roger Moore's style in adventure films like this? Being type case against his Jams Bond image? The comic and satiric touch? His appearance, the dapper English gentleman? His troop and his perfectionism? His putting forward of his opinions and his self-opiniatedness? The initial tests with the live grenades? The particular skills he had, the ingenuity of mind, the command of his men? Their loyalty? His concern about the danger of oil rigs and its immediate testing? The British adventure type? Character? The humour of his disdain of women? His story and explanation of his mother, sisters, wife? His devotion to cats? His petit-point? The humour of his dialogue? The character used for getting laughs as well as indicating the almost ease of the action?

5. The build-up to the hijacking? the Captain and the crew, the journalists? The reference to the rigs and ship with their feminine names and the original name of the book? The humour of having such an adventure with feminine names? Kramer and his intensity? His assistant and his thick lensed glasses? The Japanese, the other members of the hijacking crew? The journalist and his sea sickness? his trying to warn them later. his trying to back out, Kramer killing him? Their taking over of the ship, killing of the sailor immediately? Holding the crew, their treatment of the crew and the Captain? The link with Jennifer and the discussions with King? Their following the ordinary routine of the ships, the planting of the explosives? Kramer and his nerves? The poison incident and the death of the sailor? The build up to the takeover? The explosion and believing that the rig had gone up? His disdain for Ffoulkes? The later justification and ironic final line? Kramer at the radio, the tension building up with the men? How well delineated a character, a credible terrorist? The precision of the deaths? The background of motivation and philosophy for such international hijacking?

6. James Mason as the Admiral, anti-Ffoulkes? The dignity of the Admiralty? His agreeing to cooperate, the pressure of the Prime Minister? His waiting for the entry onto the ship, practising the routine with the cigarettes? His quick thinking on the ship and his participation in the saving of the rig?

7. The Lord Privy Seal and his participation? The Prim Minister and the echoes of Mrs Thatcher? Her dress, another feminine collaborator for Ffoulkes? Her listening to advisers, making decisions? Her being spoken to directly by Ffoulkes? The award at the end?

8. The portrayal of the crew, the integrity of the Captain, loyalty? The various plans devised, the poison plan and the Captain's participation in it? Sanna and her plan? The warning by the journalist, Kramer noticing the sailor taking the poison and forcing him to drink the coffee? The ambiguity of Sanna'a being thrown overboard? The final help? Sanna and her saving of Ffoulkes and his calling her 'boy'? The humour of the final shower sequence?

9. The portrayal of the staff on Jennifer? King and his control, contact with the British Government, with Kramer? King and the decisiveness he had to exercise?

10. The build up of the rescue plan, Ffoulkes and his tryout. the nature of the strategy, the change with Kramer's putting the Admiral and King in the cabin, Ffoulkes in the red, the execution of the plan, its timing, Sanna’s intervention? The death of Kramer and his almost exploding Jennifer?

11. Oil and its vulnerability, explosives and their accessibility, international greed on a large scale?

12. Themes of terrorists and the measures to be taken against them?

13. Masculine-feminine themes - the humour about the roles? The British Prime minister, the Queen? Ffoulkes -and his disdain? Masculine roles and action? The humour of the reversal of roles? The finale and the humour of the presentation of the cats?

14. Ordinary action adventure, yet discussable themes in the context of the '70s and '80s?