For a long time this movie was dismissed in histories of the Australian industry. Its reputation has risen in recent years. It's a frustrating film to watch because the central idea is brilliant and there's good things about it.
The opening is brilliant - an ambulance racing through Sydney (love the location footage) with anxious staff and driver and a bandaged patient. They get pulled over, then have to take a genuine sick person, and wind up at a hospital.
But instead of building the tension by keeping the gang stuck at the hospital there's a cut and bang they are at this safe house. How did they get there? Why have them go there? Why not get them on the boat.
They get on the boat and it breaks down, so you don't actually need that opening sequence. They arrive at the fort... take it over. Aldo Ray is so apologetic about it, it robs the piece of tension.
Some tourists arrive on the island. They don't seem to be in much danger of being busted. Then Grant Taylor comes and it gets exciting. But then Aldo Ray lets him go. His co conspirators are justifiably annoyed.
Ray's character is so dumb - always whining about wanting a new trial. We never find out if he's innocent or guilty by the way - the harsh copper says he's guilty and he's not disproved. He's too nice, no threat. He goes a little mad at the end.
There's no other threat among the group. Victor Maddern's character should have been harsh but he's amiable. Makes no sense he's along. Why not make him bad? How are they going to get off the island?
Grant Taylor is in this as a cop who gets chased off the island then shoots Maddern. Watching this I felt maybe Taylor was justifably annoyed he wasn't playing that role. Taylor had a strength and gravitas that the hijackers could have used. They should have shot some people.
I liked the other Aussies. I guess I would but does anyone like the Brits in the cast: Heather Sears in a typically poor Ealing female role, Carlo Juistini has someone who seems as if they're going to be interesting but isn't, Neil McCallum is very poor as Ray's brother, Barbara Mullen as the mother who just whimpers (why not have her be a sex bomb who wants Ray or something.
Kenneth J Warren is a very good booming voice commissioner - I hadn't heard of him before. Gerry Duggan is great too. Ray might have been fine had he been given something to play.
The location is tremendous. Sydney Harbour looks fantastic. It does build effectively.
I just wish they'd kept the original idea of making it about Germans in World War Two, and used more Aussie actors who would've been better.
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