The Cassandra Crossing

 The Cassandra Crossing 1975

• Director: George P Cosmatos
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Sophia Loren, Richard Harris, Martin Sheen, OJ Simpson, Ingrid Thulin, Ava Gardner, Burt Lancaster, John Philip Law
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Sophia Loren – something I’m sure
• Richard Harris – Harry Potter, Gladiator, Smilla’s Sense of Snow, Camelot
• Martin Sheen – Judas and the Black Messiah, Bobby, Catch Me If You Can, Dead Presidents, JFK, Apocalypse Now
• Ingrid Thulin – Viskningar och rop, Vargtimmen, Tystnaden, Smultronstället
• Ava Gardner – The Night of the Iguana, 7 Days in May, On the Beach, Show Boat
• Burt Lancaster – Field of Dreams, Local Hero, Atlantic City, 1900, 7 Days in May, The Birdman of Alcatraz, Elmer Gantry, The Rainmaker, probably others
• John Philip Law – The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!
• Why? Mixed it up with Miller’s Crossing
• Seen: 5 July 2022      

       A raid on a research hospital in Geneva results in one of the attackers escaping, not knowing he’s carrying an incurable strain of the bubonic plague, developed by the US military as a biological weapon. He stows away on a train headed for Stockholm, spreading it to the other thousand or so passengers. No country they pass through will let them off.

       It’s a political thriller/disaster film so popular in the 70s.  The best aspect is that the Americans are the bad guys for once. The actors’ attempts at speaking Swedish give a lot of unintentional laughs. Other than a few mildly exciting moments, it’s ponderous, poorly scripted, badly acted despite the big names, overloaded with subplots and unlikely characters, like most films of the genre and era. A decent non-feel-good ending (although the main lovers survive of course) and some strong visuals lift it half a *. 

2 ½ * of 5