directed by: George Pan Cosmatos
written by: Robert Katz, George Pan Cosmatos and Tom Mankiewicz
photographed by: Ennio Guarnieri
music by: Jerry Goldsmith
edited by: Françoise Bonnot and Roberto Silvi
stars: Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Martin Sheen
imdb
written by: Robert Katz, George Pan Cosmatos and Tom Mankiewicz
photographed by: Ennio Guarnieri
music by: Jerry Goldsmith
edited by: Françoise Bonnot and Roberto Silvi
stars: Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Martin Sheen
imdb
I remember, during the first stages of the Covid19 pandemic, when I heard about the virus outbreak and quarantine in the Diamond Princess cruise ship, I inmediately thought of The Cassandra Crossing. The Cassandra Crossing was quite popular when it was released and even later, but is now almost completely unknown among the new generations. The Cassandra Crossing was another 70s catastrophe movie, but instead of a roaring fire (The Towering Inferno), an earthquake (Earthquake) or a ship wreck (Poseidon), here we have a deadly virus.
As in other catastrophe movies, the cast is spectacular, including also Ava Gardner, Burt Lancaster, Alida Valli, Lee Strasberg and sportsman-turned-actor-turned-convicted-felon O.J. Simpson.
Cosmatos is an italian director known as director of two of the worst movies in Sylvester Stallone's career: Rambo II (1985) and the so-bad-that-it-is-fun Cobra (1986). But although I haven't seen these movies in a couple of decades, I would say that the worse about them was the screenplay, which no director would have been able to save.
Cosmatos is an italian director known as director of two of the worst movies in Sylvester Stallone's career: Rambo II (1985) and the so-bad-that-it-is-fun Cobra (1986). But although I haven't seen these movies in a couple of decades, I would say that the worse about them was the screenplay, which no director would have been able to save.
The Cassandra Crossing is not a pandemic movie, not even a virus movie, but a typical catastrophe movie, mixing drama and thriller, where the virus (in this case, the bacteria) is only an excuse to put the train on the road (or the railway) of disaster. The opening titles are quite mesmerizing but unfortunately the rest of the movie falls into a quite predictable development. The main problem is that the screenplay uses the (so common in catastrophe movies) trick of alternating the moments of thriller (in this case, how the virus escapes from a lab and arrives in the train, and how the authorities try to track it) with the moments of drama (relationships between the characters). And although the virus part is acceptable, the part of the relationships is quite boring, despite the great actors/actresses involved, mainly because all characters are stereotypes. As mentioned this is not unusual in catastrophe movies. The problem: how long this part lasts, how long until the real "action" begins. By that time, our interest has already diminished.
When the action begins, things improve substantially. This is Cosmatos' speciality. And the train and the bridge at the end are simply iconic. It is a pity that they thought the movie needed 129 minutes, when it would have been much enjoyable movie if it had been half hour shorter.
When the action begins, things improve substantially. This is Cosmatos' speciality. And the train and the bridge at the end are simply iconic. It is a pity that they thought the movie needed 129 minutes, when it would have been much enjoyable movie if it had been half hour shorter.
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