It's true, I love Jaws, and mainly because of its characters. Yeah, Bruce the Shark is cool and all, but do you want to know my favorite character in the film? It's Quint, played by the one and only Robert Shaw.
Well, even though Quint is probably Shaw's most popular character, he actually had a wide range that also included theater, television, and even writing. However, I never realized just how talented he was until I watched him in 1977's action thriller, Black Sunday, which is about a terrorist who wants to kill people during the Super Bowl, and the man who’s determined to stop him.
I love a good thriller (and there have been quite a few great ones as of late), but I think this particular ’70s thriller is something special. Here's why.
The Story Comes From A Thomas Harris Novel. Yes, The Author Of The Silence Of The Lambs
When this movie first started, I received my first shock when it said that it was based on a novel by Thomas Harris, to which I verbally said, “Wait, what?” Because I honestly didn't know that Thomas Harris, who famously scribed Red Dragon, The Silence of the Lambs, and Hannibal, did anything outside of the world of Hannibal Lecter.
In truth, I honestly didn't know that Harris ever ventured outside of the world of horror (though there are those who don't consider The Silence of the Lambs horror at all). So, to learn that Harris wrote a book that predates 1981's Red Dragon by about six years was news to me!
Even though I read a lot of books, I never read Black Sunday, so I can't determine if the movie is as good as, or even better than, the book. But, after reading the novel’s plot synopsis, it seems like the film retained a lot of the same story, save for the ending, which sounds way different from the book.
I bring this up, though, because I think it’s fascinating. I mean, you think you know an author, only to realize that they have a whole history that you might know nothing about. It kind of reminds me of when I learned that the band 311 had two albums before their self-titled mega album, but now I'm talking about music! Let me get back to the film!
The Plot Concerns A Terrorist Who Wants To Kill People At The Super Bowl
Okay, now onto the plot, which is what attracted me to the film in the first place (by the way, if you want to watch this movie, make sure that you get the one starring Robert Shaw, and NOT the 1960 horror movie of the same name. I made that mistake myself back when Netflix was still mailing out DVDs.
Anyway, a troubled Vietnam vet who was once a P.O.W. (Bruce Dern) now flies a blimp every Sunday during football games. He seems pretty on the level, but he's actually suicidal after his treatment in Vietnam, and he becomes romantically involved with a terrorist named Dahlia Iyad (Marthe Keller), who is using him in an attempt to kill others. You see, he’s grown so disenchanted by America that he not only wants to kill himself, but also thousands of others in spectacular fashion.
Their plan is to load the blimp full of little darts that will disperse everywhere once exploded. Dern’s character is doing it because he’s in love with Dahlia, and she’s just using him because her terrorist group, Black September, wants to send a message to America on the grandest stage possible.
Well, the plan would likely go off without a hitch if not for one man, and that man is Robert Shaw, er, I mean, Major David Kabakov, who Robert Shaw plays in this movie, which I'll get into next.
Robert Shaw Plays An Israeli Counter-Terrorist Agent
As mentioned earlier, Robert Shaw had a pretty interesting career, even before Jaws. Prior to that movie, I knew him from The Sting and A Man for All Seasons (both of which were Best Picture winners), but fans of James Bond likely know him as the SPECTRE assassin, Donald Grant, in From Russia with Love. The point I’m trying to make here is that Shaw could play pretty much anybody – both good guy and bad – and he did it all with aplomb, which is what we see in Black Sunday.
In this John Frankenheimer film, Shaw plays an Israeli counter-terrorist Mossad agent named David Kabakov. We meet him early in a raid on a terrorist group’s safehouse, where he enters with stealth and precision. He actually encounters Dahlia Iyad while she’s showering, and he could kill her, but refrains, which he regrets later in the story.
That’s because she is the bane of his existence later in the film. So much so that when he feels he’s lost his killer instinct, one of her murders pulls him back into action (in one awesome interrogation moment, he shoves a gun in somebody’s mouth and tells them to blink once if they’re going to give him information, or stay silent and die if they won’t).
He’s just such a cool character, and I actually like him better than Quint from Jaws, which I didn’t think was possible, but it’s true. That said, this movie wouldn’t work if it didn’t have a great antagonist, and it does, which I’ll get into next.
Bruce Dern Is Riveting As A Disturbed Former Veteran
Do you want to know what’s interesting? I barely recognize a “young” Bruce Dern, and I’m always surprised when I see him. I mean, I’ve watched him in They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, and Hitchcock’s final film, Family Plot. But, I’m so used to “old” Bruce Dern, like the one seen in one of my favorite Tarantino films, The Hateful Eight, that it’s rather startling to see him so fresh-faced and animated.
And, fresh-faced and animated is what he is in this film, as he really is quite menacing. Here’s the thing: he’s not menacing in the same way that Robert Shaw’s character is. No, he’s actually like a caged animal, and truly sociopathic when it comes right down to it.
As mentioned, he was a POW in Vietnam, and upon his return, he feels like he was mistreated and cheated. His wife left him and took the kids with her, and he feels genuine paranoia to the extent that even sitting in one place for too long almost makes him crack.
However, he’s still able to fake normalcy, which is the scariest thing of all, as nobody suspects that he’s willing to kill thousands of people. Because while Dahlia is scary, we know her intent. Dern’s character, however, is a complete wildcard, which makes him terrifying!
The Climax Is Incredible
Lastly, the climax of this film is really unbelievable…and I mean it. It’s so crazy, I can’t believe it! I won’t spoil it for you here, but I’ll give you the gist of it because it really has to be seen to be believed.
At the end of the film, Dern’s character goes through with the plan involving the blimp (Not really a spoiler since you see it on the poster), but Shaw’s character is right there in the mix. When Dern's character tries to do his plan, Shaw’s character won’t allow it, and what happens next really left my jaw open.
I immediately read the plot synopsis of the book when the film ended, and yeah, the film’s ending is different. Not completely, but different. That said, I like this ending, as it’s just as exciting as the rest of the movie. I approve!
So, what do you think? Have you ever watched Black Sunday? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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