Eureka Classics, out May 21

A fort in trouble; a train full of double-dealing suspects; and caught in the middle – Charles Bronson’s John Deakin…

Not strictly SFB territory (but pushing it on the lines that one of the central characters is actually a Secret Service agent…) but this release of Breakheart Pass is well worth picking up. Scripted by Alastair MacLean from his own novel, it’s an entertaining way to pass 90 or so minutes, aided immeasurably by a terrific score by Jerry Goldsmith.

If you know the MacLean novel, you’ll see the differences (as the 11 year old me did at the time of cinematic release, and got heartily shushed by other members of the audience when I pointed them out!), but this is a streamlined version of the plot of MacLean’s rare venture into historical territory. As the trailer points out, nothing and nobody is as it seems, and there’s plenty of doublecrossing and nefarious activity – quite often unaccompanied by dialogue.

With the exception of Mrs Charles Bronson (Jill Ireland), who’s something of a weak link on the acting front, director Tom Gries has assembled a decent cast, with a number of them playing against type, as Kim Newman points out in his interview (the only extra bar the trailer). The action sequences are very well put together, thanks to second unit director Yakima Canutt – some of what you might think were model shots (the train disaster, especially) were properly filmed and they have a real impact.

Verdict: A solid action thriller. 7/10

Paul Simpson

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