Ransom (1974 film)

British Lion Films

Industry	Film production
Headquarters	London , United Kingdom

Ransom, released in North America and select regions as The Terrorists, is a 1975 British crime film featuring performances by Sean Connery and Ian McShane, under the direction of Finnish filmmaker Caspar Wrede.

Plot

A terrorist faction abducts the British ambassador to the fictional nation of "Scandinavia," taking him hostage. Col. Nils Tahlvik, Scandinavia’s chief of security, pushes for a resolute approach, but both governments override his stance, opting to comply with the terrorists' demands.

Meanwhile, a passenger aircraft landing in the capital of Scandinavia is hijacked by another terrorist cell led by Ray Petrie. Petrie insists on establishing communication with Martin Shepherd, the leader of the group holding the ambassador captive. He persuades Shepherd to utilize the hijacked plane for their getaway instead of a military jet.

Tahlvik and his elite forces attempt to intervene but are unsuccessful. Eventually, Tahlvik uncovers that Petrie’s faction consists of British intelligence agents intent on apprehending Shepherd, and that British officials have deliberately deceived Scandinavian authorities. Boarding the plane alone before departure, Tahlvik instigates a gunfight resulting in the deaths of both Shepherd and Petrie.

Production

Michael Deeley, managing director at British Lion Films, stated that producer Peter Rawley shaped the project by arranging the screenplay and securing Sean Connery and Ian McShane for leading roles. British Lion provided financing amounting to $1.5 million. The distribution rights for the US and Canada were sold to 20th Century Fox for $800,000, while rights for other international markets fetched $1 million, ensuring a profitable venture.

Filming

Principal photography occurred in Norway, primarily at Oslo Airport, Fornebu, with technical support from Norsk Film. The aircraft depicted as hijacked is a Boeing 737-200 bearing Mey-Air livery.

Production commenced in January 1974. During shooting, Mey-Air failed to meet its financial obligations to Boeing Commercial Aircraft, resulting in the plane’s repossession on 26 February before all aerial sequences were completed.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has garnered a 50% approval rating based on six critical reviews.

Time Out magazine highlighted the film’s Scandinavian backdrop involving dual terrorist crises: the kidnapping of a British ambassador and an airplane hijacking. Despite capable direction by Wrede and cinematography by Sven Nykvist, the film is criticized for having a television-movie quality that diminishes its overall effectiveness.

Home media releases

In 2003, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment issued a region 1 DVD featuring both anamorphic widescreen (1.66) and full-frame (1.33) formats. This US release, titled "The Terrorists," included original English mono sound and opened with the Fox logo. Subsequently, Scanbox Entertainment released the first region 2 DVD in Scandinavia (1.33 aspect ratio), followed by a German StudioCanal edition in anamorphic widescreen (1.66); both carried the UK title "Ransom."

Anchor Bay re-released the US version "The Terrorists" on DVD and Blu-ray in 2012 with a 5.1 audio upmix but no extra features; this edition has since gone out of print.

In August 2014, UK independent label Network issued a DVD and Blu-ray utilizing a new 2K restoration of the UK "Ransom" version under license from StudioCanal. This release features the British Lion logo along with UK teaser and theatrical trailers.

In Australia, Umbrella Entertainment initially offered a DVD titled "The Terrorists" using the Fox transfer. In 2024, they reissued it on Blu-ray employing the 2K restoration from the UK "Ransom" version. Bonus materials include an exclusive audio commentary with Lee Pfeiffer alongside film historians Paul Scrabo and Tony Latino; an interview with critic Kim Newman titled "The Wilderness Period"; alternate US title sequence; original trailer and teaser; plus a Sean Connery trailer reel from the 1970s.

External links

• IMDb entry: Ransom
• Turner Classic Movies Database: Ransom
• American Film Institute Catalog: Ransom
• Mojo review: The Terrorists
• Analysis at Cinema Retro