Hennessy (1975)

Simply A Masterpiece

Fresh and Exciting

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

*** This review may contain spoilers *** *Plot and ending analyzed* If it wasn't for the insipidly idiotic scenes, namely the ending, this would have been a little better. As it stands, the assassination plot should have been carried out with relative ease. Add a violent New Scotland Yard detective, who I may add is entirely dull, and he puts an end to Rod Steiger's complot and it further sinks into incredulity. Rod Steiger wouldn't be my first choice to play some competent detonation man on the lam. He makes plenty of mistakes to have both the IRA and New Scotland Yard detectives find him.The Day of the Jackal (1973) also had a similar ending and at least that was better throughout the film.Rod Steiger plays some Irish bloke who served in the North African Campaign of the Second World War, but comes back home a few years later to a divided Ireland. The IRA wants him for a job but he refuses, out of principal he says, but then his wife and kid get gunned down by a young trigger squeezing Royal Military Police lad who took a rock hit to the mug and then Rod Steiger plans a hit on Queen Elizabeth II. The IRA look for him since if he ices Queen Elizabeth England will destroy the IRA.It all seems a bit on the weak side.

After seeing his wife and young daughter gunned down by a British soldier during a riot in Belfast, Hennessy, (Rod Steiger), decides to blow up the state opening of Parliament by way of revenge. As you would.As a revenge fantasy, Hennessy is fine, apart from the end. As a political thriller, it's laughable. To think the IRA would issue a contract on one of its own volunteers for attempting to kill the British head of state when ten years later it tried and came close to killing Margaret Thatcher demonstrates a lack of research and familiarity with the subject matter.The renewed Troubles were only five years old at the time of filming, and film-makers are always looking for ways of giving us the same old same old in new surrounds - so Hennessy is nothing more than an old-fashioned thriller - implausible, slightly absurd and highly engaging - in no way does it ever address or seek to address the causes of conflict in the north. That comes as a welcome relief.What I liked most about Hennessy the man were his bull-like qualities, his tenacity in the face of over-whelming odds, and the audacity of his revenge fantasy. By seeking to assassinate no less than the head of state he immediately revokes status - the pomp of the Queen's entourage is contrasted bleakly with his family's funeral procession on television. He is conspicuously missing - he has a job of work to do. As a man who strips wires for a living he inhabits all the subtleties of a tradesman - untiring, no-nonsense, get the job done...This film outraged the establishment and liberal press in Britain, who wanted IRA men portrayed neither as heroes or anti-heroes, but criminals. But every country has its own establishment and in Ireland Hennessy is counted a hero, not because of what he did do, but because of what he didn't do - the death of his wife and child are real enough set against his non-act, let that stand.Incidentally, don't miss the wonderful opening of this film which shows footage of Belfast city centre before it was demolished by redevelopers at the behest of the city council. The old town was a beautiful place - if you're ever in Belfast take a walk down Joy St and see the last remaining cultural architecture in the town. It's somewhat ironic that Hennessy's job is that of a demolition expert, and we first see him demolishing a piece of old Belfast by explosive. Maybe what goes around comes around, eh, Niall.

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