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Ransom
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - Australia - Umbrella Entertainment Review written by and copyright: James-Masaki Ryan (26th July 2024). |
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The Film
 "Ransom" (1974) British Ambassador to Scandinavia Mr. Palmer (played by Robert Harris) is held hostage in his home by a group of stocking masked terrorists led by Shepherd (played by John Quentin). At the same time, there is a plane hijacking led by Petrie (played by Ian McShane) who holds and crew and passengers hostage at the airport tarmac until the ambassador is escorted on board in exchange. Called in to diffuse the situation is Scandinavian head of security Colonel Nils Tahlvik (played by Sean Connery), as they have a time limit on how to proceed, or the explosives that were carried on board would be detonated with all on board. It is a race against the clock, and though Tahlvik might be dealing with something much more than he anticipated... "Ransom" is in line with a number of thrillers of the 1970s in which plots involving corrupt politics and international terrorism mirrored a number of real-life counterparts in the daily headlines. With the mysteries of who is playing against who and who is doublecrossing, the genre was filled with a number of fantastic entries, but "Ransom" is not exactly high on the list. Sure, it is very entertaining and there are some excellent performers on board, but there are a number of flaws to the film that cannot place it toward the upward stratosphere. Writer Paul Wheeler's script has a good number of praises, from the action sequences and the confrontations, but there are a number of logical flaws that the audience needs to overcome. The film opens with the kidnapping already taken place, so it doesn't quite show the capabilities of the terrorists at the ambassador's home. As for the terrorists in the air, it is almost too easy at how they were able to take the airplane's control with the smuggling of a gun. In addition, there are hints, but not enough examples of passenger stress by the people trapped on board. There are also examples of the colonel's capabilities at handling the terrorists by coming up with plans such as the ol' switcheroo, which seemed almost impossible to pull off without meticulous pre-planning, in addition to putting the lives of the police and the hostages at extreme risk. Also, there is little to no information given on the terrorists' demands and what their motivations were, though the twist of their true identities was a clever, yet seemingly impossible situation. There could have been more polish to make sense of the decisions made by the characters on both sides of the law to make things less complicated, but even with the odd logic and logistics, the performances and the tension with the situation are quite strong. Although Connery is playing a Scandinavian officer, his Scottish accent is always apparent, and the Scandinavian characters which were played mostly by Norwegian actors speak in perfect British English, which was due to a number of actors having being dubbed by English actors even though they were speaking English on set. Connery's performance is great as the Colonel placed in an extremely difficult situation. There are some questionable moments, such as the character having to shower all of a sudden which didn't seem all that necessary to the plot, though it must have been there for eye candy for female 007 fans. McShane is cold and calculating, and he is never the one to break a sweat or crack a smile with his precision. It takes the full length of the film for the two leads to finally confront each other, and climactic battle is a little underwhelming to say the least. Things are settled almost too quickly and the tension that the film was hinting at doesn't quite deliver in the payoff. It is not at all the fault of the actor, but it was due to the lack of effort in pre-production. Not to say there were no issues during production. There was issue with Norway where the majority of the film was shot, not wanting to have their country's name associated with a film that showcases terrorism. Norwegian airliners and crew were not willing to work on the film that could have damaged their reputation either. Although producer Peter Rawley secured financing and assembling the cast and crew, last minute financial exits led to Norwegian financier Hans Otto Meyer, who also lent one of his Mey-Air airplanes for the production. But Meyer and Mey-Air was already in a financial crisis due to the 1973 oil shock making it difficult for profitability. It was during production of the film that Mey-Air ceased operations and declared bankruptcy, leading to Boeing repossessing the airplanes, including the one needed for the film. While a number of exterior shots and some interior were able to be shot, the remainder had to be done in studio settings. Director Casper Wrede did a fair but not particularly memorable job with the direction, as the pacing was inconsistent and the flow didn't quite connect. Praise does come for legendary cinematographer Sven Nykvist with his uses of subtle zooms and delicate pans, as well as another legend with composer Jerry Goldsmith for his score for the film. The film had a budget of $1.5 million and production company British Lion Films sold the American rights to Twentieth Century Fox for a fair price to make an immediate profit, though the film itself was not a major hit. It received its first release was on December 6, 1974 in Italy, followed by the UK theatrical release on February 27, 1975, and the American release which Fox changed the title to "The Terrorists" on March 2, 1975. Connery's name, though still recognizable after retiring the James Bond role a few years earlier, was not enough to entice audiences and the film was mostly unnoticed. Critically it was average at best, and was largely forgotten about. The film received a few home video releases on DVD and Blu-ray in the past, though this new Australian release from Umbrella Entertainment on Blu-ray is easily the most definitive. The film may still be flawed in execution, though it still has an enjoyable factor through the performances, and is not entirely a dud, but just closer to average at that. Note this is a region ALL Blu-ray
Video
Umbrella Entertainment presents the film in the 1.78:1 aspect ratio in 1080p AVC MPEG-4. The transfer comes from Studio Canal's HD master of the UK version of the film with the "Ranson" title card. The HD transfer looks quite good, with colors being bold and bright, with good detail shown and very few if any damage marks being visible. It's not particularly a vibrant film and has a colder atmosphere, and the transfer does a good job to showcase it. The aspect ratio is a concern, as this was most likely in the 1.66:1 aspect ratio (as the US Blu-ray is) or in the 1.75:1 aspect ratio (as the UK Blu-ray is and IMDB states), so there seems to be a bit of cropping applied from the original theatrical aspect ratio. It is a minor adjustment to say the least, though it is overall a fine looking image and transfer presented. The film's runtime is 94:11.
Audio
English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono The original mono audio track is presented in lossless form. The audio is excellent, with dialogue sounding crisp and clear, effects and the score by Goldsmith being balanced nicely throughout, with the sounds of the airplane, the gunshots, and other activity sounding great. There are no issues such as hiss or pops in the audio for a clean sounding track. There are optional English HoH subtitles for the main feature in a white font. The subtitles are well timed and easy to read.
Extras
Audio Commentary with Lee Pfeiffer, editor of Cinema Retro Magazine, and Film Historians Paul Scrabo and Tony Latino (2024) Pfeiffer, Scrabo, and Latino discuss together the not-so-widely seen Connery starring film, and are quick to point out that the film has a number of issues, including the convoluted plot and concerns with the logistics. They discuss about the action scenes, the behind the scenes, the choice of director, information on Connery on set as well as his career during the period, the popularity of terrorism themes and political intrigue on film at the time, examples of mediocre reviews the film received, and more. They are not at all completely negative about the film and have many positives to say as well with a lot of great information in between. in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles "The Wilderness Period": Kim Newman on Sean Connery" 2024 interview (11:27) This new interview with Newman has him discussing Connery's lows and highs following his departure from the 007 franchise until he found his footing as an aging superstar in later years, with examples of his work in clips and stills with Newman giving details on each. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.78:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles Alternate Title Sequence (1:08) The alternate American title sequence, opening with the 20th Century Fox logo and having the title “The Terrorists” is presented here. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.66:1, Music Dolby Digital 2.0 mono without subtitles Trailer (2:57) The original UK trailer ifs presented here, in good condition, though there are a number of speckles and scratch marks to be found. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.75:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono without subtitles Teaser (1:34) The original UK teaser is presented here, which is a condensed version of the trailer with similar picture and sound quality. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in 1.75:1, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 mono without subtitles Sean Connery 70s Trailer Reel for "The Molly Maguires", "The Anderson Tapes", "007 Diamonds Are Forever" (trailer + teaser), "The Offence", "Zardoz", "The Wind and the Lion", "Call It Magic: The Making of The Man Who Would Be King" (featurette), "The Man Who Would Be King", "Robin and Marian", "A Bridge Too Far", "The Great Train Robbery", "Meteor", "Cuba" (47:04) A fun reel of trailers of various films starring Connery is presented here. Interestingly the reel also includes "Call It Magic", a ten minute vintage making-of shot during the production of "The Man Who Would Be King" with Connery and others addressing the audience on the historical epic. The quality of the trailers in image and sound vary from title to title, though most are in good shape coming from film transfers. in 1080p AVC MPEG-4, in various ratios, in English Dolby Digital 2.0 without subtitles As stated, the film received a number of releases on the DVD format, none of which had any significant extras. On Blu-ray, which first had an Italian release from Eagle Pictures with no extras whatsoever, then the US release a year later from Anchor Bay which used the version with the American title card and had a 5.1 remix rather than the original mono. The UK release from Network in 2014 had some minor extras with two trailers and a stills gallery. In 2023, it was released in Germany but again only had trailers and a stills gallery. Now, Umbrella's release trumps all others with its plentiful extras. Notable clips: A clip of the film. from Network The trailer for the film
Packaging
The disc is packaged in a clear keep case with reversible artwork. The only difference with the opposite artwork is that it is free of the Australian M rating logos. The packaging states region B only but it is in fact region ALL. It is also available with a limited edition slipcase newly designed by Tony Stella exclusively at the Umbrella Web Shop. In addition there is also a Collector's Edition exclusively at the Umbrella Web Shop, limited to 500 copies which also includes a 48 page book with new essays by Andrew Nette and John Harrison, a classic art outer rigid slipcase, the slipcase listed above, 8 replica lobby cards, and an A3 reversible poster. The book starts with the essay "Fictional Hijackers and a Real Life Covert Operative: Casper Wrede's Ransom" by Andrew Nette on the film's troubled production and release. Next is "A Career Never Held to Ransom: The Diversity of Ian McShane" by John Harrison on the actor's diverse and lengthy career. This is followed by "The 1970s and the Golden Age of the Aeroplane Hijack Film" by Andrew Nette which looks at the popularity of the genre over the years. Finally there is a a reproduction of the original UK presbook for the final few pages. The replica lobby cards are German ones, with the German title "Die Uhr läuft ab" printed on them. The poster has the original UK theatrical poster art from Thorn-EMI releasing, while the opposite side has new poster art by Tony Stella which was the basis of the new slipcover. The poster is housed in the keep case, with the keep case, book, and lobby cards fitting inside the rigid box. 
Overall
"Ransom" has its logical flaws in its narrative yet it still delivers greatly from the tense performances by Connery and McShane in the leads. It may not be the best political thriller of the time, though there is enjoyable charm to be found. While the film may not be memorable, Umbrella Entertainment has done a fantastic job with the Blu-ray release with an excellent selection of new and exclusive extras.
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