Walter Garber (Washington) is a New York City subway dispatcher. Things on this day are going pretty smoothly until one of the trains is hijacked. Ryder (Travolta) and his accomplices demand ten million dollars in exchange for the lives of the passengers.
Filming in the Subway
The story is as realistic as it gets. “In the past, we’ve allowed filming on a platform or inside a train, but very little filming with actors down on the tracks. Pelham shot scenes with the actors on the track as trains moved past them. That was unique,” says Superintendent Rapid Transit Operations Joe Grodzinsky.
The story is tense as Ryder starts shooting the passengers.
When the NYPD hostage negotiation team arrives, Garber is taken off his desk and sent home. His communication with Ryder is over, or so he thinks. Ryder demands that Garber return to be the only one to communicate with him. Garber gets a quick course in hostage negotiations as he tries to keep Ryder’s mind off of the deadline.
Due to the violence and pervasive language, this film has been rated R. But the character of Ryder wouldn’t be the same without the violence and language. His tough, ex-con personna is what drives the story. He has nothing to lose by killing the passengers. What he has to gain if everything goes according to his plan, is a lot more than the ten million dollars he requested.
Ryder is smart and knows how to play the city. But Garber is not stupid. He had a big career in front of him with the transit authority until he was accused of taking a bribe. His knowledge about the system helps the police, and he also has a keen sense of Ryder. He knows there is more to the man than what he is revealing about himself.
Denzel Washington and John Travolta
Brian Helgeland, the screenwriter of the film, said, “Only an actor like Denzel Washington, with his powerful screen presence and immense talent, could make such an ordinary character in an ordinary desk job so compelling to watch.” And producer Todd Black says about the other lead actor, “When you give him a truly imposing role, Travolta knows how to pump a color and energy into it that I think no other actor can.”
The Taking of Pelham 123 is a dramatic film that will keep audiences on the edge of their seats. It contains understated humor which adds to the story and the characters. Although not for kids, this is definitely a movie that will be enjoyed by audiences.
Some quick shots and camera movements also add to the feeling of intense urgency as the Mayor of New York and the police try to find a solution to this horrific event, all the while Garber and Ryder are carrying on a communication that moves the story forward to its highly dramatic conclusion.
- Rated: R
- Run Time: 106 minutes
- Studio: Columbia Pictures
Quote source: Movie Press Production Notes
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