Hennessy

A fun little reworking of THE DAY OF THE JACKAL, not on par with that classic film but pretty good in its own right. Rod Steiger is well cast as an IRA sympathiser who goes off the deep end when his wife and daughter are killed by a British soldier and decides to recreate Guy Fawkes' crimes in the modern day. A taut pace and gritty realism throughout means that this one builds to a strong suspense climax cleverly incorporating real-life footage of the queen.

My father-in-law, Les Hammond, did the sound on this film, and I remember at the time him telling me that he did not think this film would be released on general release because the authorities thought it would be looked upon as some sort of bible for terrorism. We went to see it a long time after it's release, and I'm pleased to say that it was an eye opener. The storyline was good, the acting was excellent (the accents were difficult but you can't have everything). I'm a great fan of Rod Stiger and he did not let anyone down in this film. Les Hammond is still in rude health and will be celebrating his 100th birthday on 6th June 2008.

Maltin is an idiot for saying that the plot is unbelievable. It is in fact all too believable. Rod Steiger shows his versatility by playing an Irishman who impersonates an Englishman. Lee Remick is delectable as usual and English fans will applaud the inclusion of Eric Porter

I first saw this film at the cinema when it was released in 1975. I got the shock of my life when I saw myself in the newsreel film over the opening credits. In 1969, 1971 and 1972 I had served tours in Belfast with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, and it is film of the Winter 1971/Spring 1972 tour that opens Hennessy.

The first few scenes of the street rioting, the armoured "pigs", the equipment of the squaddies and the visceral hatred shown by the rioters was scarily authentic, unfortunately the accents of some of the "Irish" characters wasn't. With such heavyweights as Rod Steiger and Trevor Howard, the film should have received more support- perhaps the distributors were concerned about the politics. A brave film for daring to confront "The Troubles" and a good "yarn" as well.

Rod Steiger is "Hennessy" in this 1975 drama also starring Lee Remick, Trevor Howard, Richard Johnson and Eric Porter.

Hennessy is an explosives expert living in Belfast who no longer believes in violence, even to the point of refusing to supply the IRA with explosives. He soon reverts to his former opinions when his beloved wife and child are killed in crossfire between the British army and rioters.

From that point on, his agenda is his own, and he heads for London with the idea of blowing up the whole of Parliament when the Queen and her family come to address the body.

Hennessy seeks out the widow (Remick) of an IRA agent and hits her up for a place to stay while he steals gelignite, practices impersonating a member of Parliament he has zeroed in on and arranges to have the bomb made.

Both the IRA and the British Special Branch are on to him, and both want him stopped - the IRA because it realizes what the backlash will mean.

Given recent times, this drama takes on a timeliness it did not have when it was first released and probably got lost among the plethora of international espionage films.

Rod Steiger is always a surprise, as he could overact with the best of them (The Big Knife) or underplay beautifully, as he does here. His Hennessy is dead inside and quietly determined to achieve his goal via an intricate plot.

Beautiful Lee Remick is wasted star power here but lovely nonetheless as a lonely widow who has already lost someone to the cause and wants nothing to do with it.

Richard Johnson is terrifying as Hollis, a rogue member of the Special Branch who doesn't care who he beats to a pulp and whose property he destroys to get the information he needs.

Trevor Howard, as his boss, gives his role a measured dignity and coolheadedness - and with Hollis on his team, he needs it.

All in all, very absorbing.