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Matthau and Shaw match wits in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three 1974 movie poster, courtesy of United Artists
Picture this. Four men walked onto a train just like any ordinary day in New York City, but this time they had guns and demands everyone were afraid to meet. It’s up to one man to stop the madness before the violence really starts. In the 1974 classic The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Walter Matthau worked against the grain to ensure the safety of everyone on the train.
The plot kicked with four unknown men literally holding the city hostage for one million dollars. The leader of the gang known only as Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw) calmly displayed his malice for the system by holding everyone involved accountable if they failed to meet his demands. One of those requests was to only speak with Zachary Garber (Matthau), a transit cop that Ryder developed a rapport with. Garber had to play a game of cat and mouse with Ryder to make sure he didn’t kill too many of the passengers on his watch, which wasn’t an easy task. Ryder’s gang had some pretty unstable characters like the trigger happy Grey (Hector Elizondo) and the greedy Green (Martin Balsam) to ruin the plan. As the day progressed, Ryder and his gang did receive their money at the expense of the not too bright Mayor (Lee Wallace). Can Garber stop the men from getting off scot free with the money, or will they have the last laugh?
In terms of the plot, the original Pelham was simply the best because it delivered thrills without going too over the top like the remake did by offering too much flashy scenes. The original’s ending was also cool because Shaw’s Ryder literally went out in with a bang. (See it for yourself to draw your own conclusions.) Pelham’s gallows type humor also saved the film from launching into too many dramatic clichés. The twist of the film was that the bad guys were a lot smarter than the cops gave them credit. They always took a road rarely travelled and often eluded police in the process. With its subtle 70s thrills, the remake never stood a chance of surpassing the far superior original.
Matthau’s performance as the subdued smart aleck Garber was one for the record books. He used his comedic talents to make Garber’s dilemma a little more grounded. Of course, Garber was stressed that he had to abate the men from killing hostages, but he still saw the humor in being such an unlikely situation. Matthau was an intellectual everyman who didn’t stop until he got his man. As the leader of the gang, Shaw exuded a calm businessman like persona that was always in control, even when the police thought he was loosing ground. He illustrated his malicious intent with just a sly grin and a wave of his hand. Nothing is more terrifying than a mad man who doesn’t show all his cards.
Before checking out the remake, rent the original The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and be amazed at how it’s clearly better than another piece of Hollywood exploiting the past.
Rating: R
Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) movie trailer
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