Fear Is the Key (film)

Fear Is the Key

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	1972
Founder	Michael Tuchner (director)
Products	Action thriller film

Fear Is the Key is a 1972 British action thriller directed by Michael Tuchner, featuring performances by Barry Newman and Suzy Kendall. Adapted from Alistair MacLean's 1961 novel, the film also marks the cinematic debut of Ben Kingsley. The musical score was composed by Roy Budd.

Plot

As a plane comes under attack and is destroyed, John Talbot communicates via radio. Later, in Louisiana, Talbot provokes a confrontation with law enforcement, resulting in his arrest on accusations of murdering an officer and robbing a bank. During his trial, he escapes custody, shoots another officer, and abducts Sarah Ruthven.

A high-speed car pursuit brings Talbot and Sarah to Jablonsky, who discloses that Sarah is the daughter of an oil tycoon. Jablonsky then delivers them to Sarah’s father. Vyland, an associate of the family, enlists Talbot for a secretive mission while Jablonsky keeps him under surveillance. It becomes clear that Talbot and Jablonsky have engineered these events for a concealed objective.

Talbot visits an offshore oil platform at night and discovers Vyland’s men burying Jablonsky’s body. He admits to Sarah that the previous incidents were staged to penetrate her father’s enterprise. Her father had invested in a covert salvage operation unknown to Vyland, putting them at risk following Jablonsky’s demise. Talbot seeks Sarah’s assistance but withholds details of his full strategy.

Assigned to pilot a submersible on the oil rig, Talbot deliberately delays its deployment. Larry grows suspicious and is killed after falling from the platform during an armed confrontation. With Sarah’s help, Talbot eliminates another adversary. Unable to contact authorities due to a storm, he boards the submersible accompanied by Vyland and Royale.

At the site of a Douglas DC-3 wreck, Vyland reveals their search is for cargo identified by Talbot as $85 million in gold bars, emeralds, and diamonds—funds sent from Colombia to the International Monetary Fund as payment for weapons during an uprising. Talbot explains that his family’s plane was shot down over this shipment; his quest for vengeance has lasted three years.

Talbot cuts off the oxygen supply inside the submersible, threatening their survival unless Vyland confesses who ordered the attack on his plane. Via microphone confession, Vyland reveals the mastermind; Royale kills him and admits to murdering Jablonsky. Talbot restores oxygen and surfaces.

Production

Producer Elliott Kastner, known for adapting Alistair MacLean novels such as Where Eagles Dare (1968) and When Eight Bells Toll (1971), acquired film rights to the 1961 novel. Unlike earlier MacLean adaptations scripted by MacLean himself, this film’s screenplay was penned by Robert Carrington due to MacLean’s unavailability.

The project was developed in partnership with Britain's EMI Films, which had recently backed Kastner’s production Villain. Filming took place in mid-1972 on location in Louisiana. The film features a prominent car chase coordinated by Carey Loftin, renowned for his work on Vanishing Point (1971), which also starred Barry Newman—possibly influencing Newman’s casting here. Newman praised his role as fitting well within an Alistair MacLean narrative. Suzy Kendall co-starred, with Kastner highlighting that the quality of the script was becoming more crucial than star appeal.

In July 1972, distribution rights for the Western Hemisphere were acquired by Paramount Pictures, broadening the film’s market exposure.

Critical

The Monthly Film Bulletin characterized the movie as "a fast-paced and cleverly constructed thriller" featuring enough unexpected elements to keep viewers engaged, particularly emphasizing a 20-minute car chase sequence near the beginning. Although the screenplay and character development were somewhat straightforward, Barry Newman's powerful portrayal effectively matched the revenge-driven narrative, while director Michael Tuchner demonstrated noticeable progress compared to his previous projects.

The Radio Times Guide to Films awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars, commending the thrilling car chase and Newman's believable depiction of an adrenaline-fueled protagonist.

Leslie Halliwell described it as a "fairly gripping thriller with surprising plot twists."

Box office

While the movie did not perform well in the American market, it found greater success across European audiences. Significantly, it was among the top-grossing films at the British box office in 1973.

External links

• Film review at Alistair Maclean.com
• Review of movie at Black Hole Review