Juggernaut (1974): Possibly the Most Accurate Film of Life in 70s Britain

To mark it’s fiftieth anniversary, Eureka Entertainment released Richard Lester’s 1974 movie Juggernaut (aka Terror on the Britannic) for the first time on Blu-ray last week. Featuring a stacked cast headed by Richard Harris and Omar Sharif, with David Hemmings, Anthony Hopkins, Shirley Knight, Ian Holm and Roy Kinnear in support, Juggernaut arrived cresting a wave of disaster movies in the U.S., but you’d be wrong to bracket this distinctly British movie as part of that trend.

Juggernaut tells the story of the S.S. Britannic – a cruise liner under the command of ship’s captain Alex Brunel (Omar Sharif), that’s making a voyage across the North Atlantic after a much-needed refit. As the thousand plus passengers set sail from Southampton into choppy waters, the liner’s owner, Nicholas Porter (Ian Holm), receives an ominous call from a man with a lyrical Irish lilt who identifies himself only as “Juggernaut”. He informs Porter that explosives have been planted aboard the Brittanic, and that unless a ransom is delivered to him, he will sink the ship. With the passengers held hostage aboard a floating time bomb and the government blocking Porter from paying the ransom, a tense and thrilling race against time commences. Police superintendent John McLeod’s (Anthony Hopkins), wife Susan (Caroline Mortimer), and their two small children are on board, and Royal Navy explosives officer Anthony Fallon (Richard Harris), and his second in command Charlie Braddock (David Hemmings), must work together on land and sea to avoid disaster.

The roots of Juggernaut can be traced back two years earlier when, on 17th May 1972, the Queen Elizabeth II was sailing from New York to Cherbourg. Authorities were alerted to a ransom demand of $350,000 or six bombs hidden on board would be detonated, and so an English Special Forces team of four men (one S.A.S., two S.B.S., and their unit leader – a Welsh bomb disposal expert from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps), were quickly scrambled and tasked with the most audacious rendezvous with the ship. Flying from R.A.F. Lyneham, they were to parachute into the Atlantic ocean and board the 65,000-tonne vessel, and perform a sweep of its thirteen decks to locate and dismantle the six bombs before they detonated. Against adverse weather conditions and the greatest of odds, and to the cheers of some of the 1438 passengers and 800 crew waiting, the unit jumped in pairs into the unforgiving waters as launches from were sent to pick up them up. An extensive search was carried out to reveal no bombs whatsoever as it had all been one almighty hoax dreamt up Joseph A. Lindisi – a struggling 48-year-old shoe salesman and married father of two from New York. If it felt like some kind of perverse anti-climax to some, it didn’t for filmmakers who had sat up taken notice of this feat of military derring-do, giving rise to Juggernaut two years later (the 1980 siege of the Iranian Embassy also spawned the film Who Dares Wins two years after the event).

Juggernaut was the brainchild of Canadian-American screenwriter and producer Richard Alan Simmons, who would later to create the ill-advised and short-lived Columbo spin-off, Mrs Columbo in 1979. Bryan Forbes was announced as the director in November, 1973, but he quickly backed out and was replaced by American TV director Don Medford, who also promptly left the project. With the film’s key location, the Soviet ship T.S. Maxim Gorky (originally a German liner, the T.S. Hamburg), booked to depart for the shoot in February 1974 and Harris, Sharif and Hemmings already cast, Juggernaut was in trouble. Executive producer David V. Picker and producer Denis O’Dell turned to director Richard Lester, who they had worked with a decade earlier on the Beatles movie A Hard Day’s Night.

Lester was in the process of reinvigorating his reputation after 1969’s The Bed Sitting Room with the lavish and starry 1973 adventure The Three Musketeers, but with just three weeks to go he accepted the time-sensitive task provided that he could cast the other characters and rework Simmons’ original screenplay. Hiring the great English playwright and screenwriter Alan Plater, the pair completely rewrote the dialogue from top to bottom, retaining only the story beats and overall structure. Simmons was furious at the changes, and insisted on using the alias Richard DeKoker in the film’s credits, while Plater was modestly listed as providing “additional dialogue”.

For me, Simmons could moan all he likes as it’s the work of Lester and Plater that separates this from the disaster movie genre and makes it something very special. By the time Juggernaut came out the disaster movie was an incredibly popular genre, with the likes of Earthquake, Airport ’75 and The Towering Inferno all being released in 1974. I don’t think it was Simmons’ intention for his story to be subsumed by the genre, but it certainly wasn’t the case for Lester and Plater either. The disaster movie was prolific in the 1970s because it tapped into the insecurities and anxieties of what was a fraught and unpredictable period for Western society.

While Juggernaut seems to fit the bill, it’s important to remember that most disaster movies are about the grand spectacle of a disaster, and this is a film about averting disaster – which ought to be enough to separate it from the pack. The Taking of Pelham 123, also released in 1974, had Robert Shaw’s colour-codenamed terrorists hijack the New York subway train, while Two-Minute Warning in 1976 saw Charlton Heston and John Cassavetes on the hunt for a deadly sniper, and 1977’s Rollercoaster told the story of mad bomber targeting fairground rides. All of these films work on the suspense and tension that such a predicament creates, and Juggernaut is a great example of this particular subgenre from the ’70s.

In 1974, Time Out reviewer David Pirie – who truly understood that Juggernaut is a crisis movie – explained that “Lester’s movie is no glossy catalogue of modern living with a holocaust thrown in for the climax. On the contrary, it’s a penetrating and sardonic commentary on a fading and troubled Britain, neatly characterised by the lumberingly chaotic ocean liner, ‘The Britannic’, in which everything is falling apart”. He was right, as the signs were there from the opening sequence when the Brittanic is ready to launch, Lester’s camera capturing Omar Sharif standing alone on deck while someone in the crowd asks “Who’s that?”, and another person responds “Looks Like Ted Heath”. While Omar Sharif could never be mistaken for the then Prime Minister of Great Britain, this reference to is still highly apt and far from coincidental. Just as the ship is called Britannic, Juggernaut uses its location and premise as an allegory for the crisis in British society – which isn’t something you’d get from The Swarm now is it?

In 1974, beleaguered and hapless by powerful unions and industrial action, then British Prime Minister Edward Heath went to the polls with the question “Who runs Britain?”, and the public responded unequivocally with “Not you mate!”. His ineffectual televisual address to the nation seems to have been recreated in Juggernaut when, with a camera trained upon him in the ship’s massive dining room, the captain explains the perilous situation to the passengers, his image broadcast to several hastily set up black and white TV sets dotted around the huge space.

This era of industrial unrest can even be found in a seemingly innocuous exchange between Harris and Hemmings in the aftermath of their introductory scene. Upon seeing the crowd waiting to return to the now safe building Harris mutters “Does no one work in this country any more?”, and with the Britannic’s faulty stabilisers and poorly-designed refits, it could be argued that nothing worked in the country. With its rain-sodden decks and surrounded by leaden skies, the past-its-prime liner is early ’70s Britain in a microcosm, its passengers displaying the collective ennui of the nation during that time. When faced with the prospect of being blown to smithereens, they react with the sanguinity usually reserved for a three-day week power cut. They roll their eyes at inconveniences, but are routinely interrupted by the interminable “Hi-de-Hi” entertainment – provided single-handedly by Roy Kinnear (Social Director Curtain), who attempts to evoke the “Blitz spirit” with singalongs even though his own heart isn’t really in it.

Terrorism was a constant threat during the 1970s, with the I.R.A.’s mainland bombing campaign in full swing on the ground, and the hijacking of commercial flights by Arab groups in the air. It’s ironic then, and deeply refreshing, to find Irishman Harris and Egyptian Sharif cast as stereotype-busting protagonists rather than clichéd antagonists, this subverting of expectations continuing even to the ultimate reveal. Lester was also keen to explore hierarchy in Juggernaut, which wasn’t unusual for the American ex-pat director as most of his movies were particularly obsessed with power structures and/or the British class system, and by allegorising and satirising the social unrest of the time, perhaps it was inevitable. Even films like The Three Musketeers have been contemporized and anglicised, and in the feudal system of seventeenth century France, hapless peasant-servant Planchet (Roy Kinnear), is at the bottom, while country bumpkin D’Artagnan (Michael York), seeks social mobility. The Musketeers themselves (Oliver Reed, Richard Chamberlain and Frank Finlay), are noble, yet frequently penniless warriors, while the Cardinal (Charlton Heston), the court of King Louis XIII (Jean Pierre-Cassel), and Anne of Austria (Geraldine Chaplin), are above them all, instructing them to undertake life or death missions on their, often highly personal, whims.

This is most clearly highlighted in Juggernaut when Captain Brunel offers a toast, “To the insanity of government and those who put themselves against them”, with bomb disposal expert Fallon responding “And to the poor sods in between”. Fallon represents the “poor sod in between” as he’s an expert, but also a very real worker – one who’s tasked with a job to do amongst passengers who, for the length of the voyage at least, are men and women of leisure. He knows that he’s an important part of what Captain Brunel is toasting, placed between his paymasters (represented by Naval Commander Marder (Julian Glover), and government official Hughes (John Stride)), and the terrorist “Juggernaut”. The weary sadness with which Harris delivers his response to the toast isn’t from self pity, but from recognising that Brunel is no longer part of the chain.

Brunel’s personal tragedy is that he’s a seemingly important figure, the ship’s captain, whose status is greatly reduced by the ransom he and his ship are held to, and even the oft-threatened dalliance he has with passenger Shirley Knight ultimately comes to naught. As the situation moves further beyond his control, he becomes less important and less visible so the comparison to Ted Heath could not have been more accurate. Meanwhile, Police Superintendent John McLeod (Anthony Hopkins), must tamp down concerns for the safety of his own family and lead the investigation on land, trawling the seedy underbelly of London’s political malcontents with experience in explosives. leading to cameos from Cyril Cusack, Michael Hordern and Freddie Jones as some of the “usual suspects”.

Visually, there are some fascinating things in Juggernaut, like the recurring motif of games that’s interesting, and key to understanding the film. Table tennis and pick-up sticks share a space with more up-to-date (at the time), technological games like Pong (which was released in 1972), and the deeply unsuitable Shipwreck!. These are all part of the entertainment on the Brittanic, and even Brunel’s paperweight contains ball-bearings that slide down a series of tunnels when upturned. Lester draws attention to the bigger game being played between Fallon and “Juggernaut”, and regardless of personal cost, like the very best of competitors Fallon remains respectful of his unseen adversary during this ongoing battle of wits.

The most striking example of Lester’s approach is, perhaps, also the one that confirms that Juggernaut is not a disaster movie and it shouldn’t be lumped together with them. Disaster movies like The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure, or any other you’d care to name, are often star-studded productions that operate on a grand scale – a skyscraper ablaze or the topsy-turvy world of a capsized ship. Juggernaut may have a stacked cast and be set on an ocean liner, but it’s not about the spectacle as Lester very deliberately, and at odds with the disaster movie genre, makes things smaller and smaller as the suspense mounts. He hints at these intentions with the first shot of Fallon dwarfed by a vibrant red backdrop, and as the camera pans out and we realise that he’s in an art gallery, he drops to his knees to deal with a bomb – the red being from a modern painting rather than any indicator of danger.

Juggernaut isn’t a film without spectacle as there are some explosions early on that signify the antagonist means business, while Fallon and his team parachuting into the North Atlantic is a stunning and spectacular action sequence that was inspired by the actions of the S.A.S. and S.B.S during the emergency on the Queen Elizabeth II. It’s an unbearably tense stunt that proceeds to go disastrously awry, but it’s blessed with Plater and Lester’s trademark wit, McLeod’s son pointing animatedly at the falling diving suited figures and cries, “They look like my Action Man! It’s Action Man!”.

This frequent narrowing down of the spectacle is an approach that Lester adheres to as corridors within the bowels of giant ship are sealed off one by one when Fallon and his men begin their work. The passengers and crew above are all but forgotten until, ultimately, what we’re left with is just Fallon, a pair of cutters, a red wire, a blue wire, and the edge of our seat. Juggernaut favours suspense over spectacle, which is why it isn’t a disaster movie, and I will even go as far as to say that it may possibly be the most accurate film of life in ’70s Britain. It’s okay if you don’t spot the social commentary of the film as you can just enjoy the way Lester manages the tension of the narrative, boiling his movie down to its core components like the most satisfying of thrillers.

Juggernaut boasts an impressive cast who deliver the goods, with Richard Harris reining in his natural mix of blarney and braggadocio to play a capable and likeable unsung hero, whose professional relationship and friendship with David Hemmings’ Charlie feels believable. The pair are simpatico, falling into the exact same step as they walk away from dismantling a bomb at an art gallery, singing the football terrace-style refrain of “Fallon’s the champion” – complete with hand claps. They’re characters blessed with some truly brilliant dialogue from Plater, and while the pair sweat over their new assignment Fallon says to Charlie “Haven’t I told you about death? It’s nature’s way of saying you’re in the wrong job”.

Hemmings, whose star shone brightly in the 1960s after the success of Blow-Up, settled into more character roles, and his portrayal of Charlie is a fine example of his generosity as a performer, happy to play second fiddle to the A lister. Omar Sharif delivers a restrained performance that’s fitting for a man of duty and responsibility who becomes emasculated as the story progresses. Anthony Hopkins brings an authentic, quiet intensity to his role as the detective whose concerns for his own family are forever bubbling under the surface, and Ian Holm provides a surprisingly human face to the owner of the liner. In the modern era I’d imagine that such a role would be more villainous, and refuse to pay the ransom because it would impact the shareholders.

The performance that I really loved came from Roy Kinnear as he manages the remarkably tricky feat of providing the movie with comic relief when his character is repeatedly dying on his arse in front of an audience. While the big beaming smile of enforced jollity routinely plastered across his round features may signify that “the show must go on”, the beads of sweat on his brow and the wildness in his bright, wide eyes reveals just how scared Curtain actually is. It’s only the heart-to-heart with Shirley Knight’s glamourous passenger that he gives voice to his true anxieties, and the unlikely pair develop a mutual and affecting bond. Beyond these actors, Juggernaut boasts a supporting cast of familiar faces amongst the crew, passengers, members of the bomb disposal team, and detective working under McLeod, and for anyone of a certain vintage it makes Juggernaut a must-have for any admirer of British cinema of the late twentieth century.

Eureka Classic’s excellent Blu-ray release includes a HD presentation, the original trailer, a brand new audio commentary from British cinema expert Melanie Williams, and two new video appreciations. All Hands on Deck features an interview with film historian and author of The Films of Richard Lester, Neil Sinyard, while Down with the Ship focuses on film historian Sheldon Hall, and looks at Juggernaut in relation to the disaster movie genre. There’s also a limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing by British film scholar Laura Mayne.

Mark’s Archive – Juggernaut (1974)