Hennessy

If anyone liked "Day of the Jackal", then they will certainly like this movie. The plot is similar in that a political enemy is to be killed by an individual. In this case two groups are trying to stop the killing-the government of Great Britain and the IRA. The IRA is not trying to defend great Britain but trying to prevent the backlash that would have been certain if the Queen and her family along with the House of Lords and Parliment were blown up. Definitely worth seeing in any case because of Rod Steiger's performance..

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.

Nearby half a century before the Queen co-starred with Daniel Craig she supported Rod Steiger in this ambitious A. I. P. Production that rather recklessly opened a can of worms by combining The Troubles with the Royal Family.

Whatever. It works perfectly well experienced simply as a gripping thriller building up to a climax as dramatic as that of 'The Day of the Jackal' with a showy part for Steiger in the tortured title role and is well acted by a good cast - most of them adopting Irish brogues - of whom one, Richard Johnson, actually supplied the original story.

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.

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.