Paula Hammond - Features EditorIf the ‘80s were the golden era of the action movie, the ‘70s undoubtedly belonged to the thriller. What’s the difference? Plot.
While action movies rely on, well, action, the thriller’s appeal lies in its tight plotting and complex characterisations. And Juggernaut is an absolutely text-book example of a ‘70s thriller.
Featuring an all-star ensemble cast iincluding Richard Harris (The Snow Goose), Anthony Hopkins (The Silence of the Lambs), Omar Sharif (Lawrence of Arabia), Ian Holm (Chariots of Fire), David Hemmings (The Charge of the Light Brigade) and Shirley Knight (The Counterfeit Killer), Juggernaut is an unrelentingly tense thriller directed by Richard Lester (A Hard Day’s Night).
The cruise liner SS Britannic is travelling through the North Atlantic with over a thousand passengers on board. As the vessel drifts through the vast ocean, its owner – Nicholas Porter (Holm) – receives a call from a man who identifies himself only as “Juggernaut.” The ominous voice on the telephone informs Porter that there are explosives planted aboard the Britannic, and that he will sink the ship at dawn unless a hefty ransom is paid. A race against time then begins as Captain Alex Brunel (Sharif), Royal Navy officer Anthony Fallon (Harris) and police superintendent John McLeod (Hopkins) work together across land and sea in a desperate attempt to avert certain disaster and secure the safety of the ship’s passengers.
Inspired by a real-life bomb threat against the Queen Elizabeth cruise ship, and drawing on the popularity of taut crime thrillers and disaster movies, Juggernaut was one of the most entertaining and suspenseful British films of the decade. Seriously, they just don’t make them like this anymore.
Eureka Classics’ new release presents the film on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from a high-definition restoration in celebration of the film’s 50th Anniversary.
Available as part of the Eureka Classics range, the Limited edition release of 2000 exclusively features an O-card slipcase, a collector’s booklet, all-new commentary and interviews.
